UC-NRLF 


*B   542   101 


■SEA,  Mass, 


M^S^/Sy^. 


^uc/i  /oc^/  ^tj&» 


"3 


\j&arce^^i^js^  ^  i 


;l\. 


PROCEEDINGS  AND  ADDRESSES 


AT  THE 


DEDICATION 


OF  THE 


TOWN  HALL,  IN  SWANSEA, 

MASS, 

ON  WEDNESDAY,  SEPTEMBER  9, 1891. 


FALL  RIVER,  MASS. : 

Ai.MY  &  Milne,  Fine  Book  and  Job  Printers, 

1892. 


r74 


Swansea,  Oct.  1st,  1891. 
Mil.  Job  Gardner, 

Chairman  of  Dedication  Exercises  of  Swansea  Town  Hall : 

Dear  Sir  : — At  a  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Selectmen  of 
Swansea,  held  this  day,  it  was  voted  to  request  you  to  confer  with 
the  orator  and  other  speakers  who  took  part  in  the  exercises  at  the 
dedication  of  the  Town  Hall,  for  permission  to  have  their  addresses 
printed  and  published  in  pamphlet  form. 

William  P.  Mason,  )  Selectmen 
Daniel  Hale,  >■  of 

Samuel  G.  Arnold,  )  Swansea. 


Swansea,  October  2nd,  1891. 
Mr.  Job  Gardner, 

Dear  Sir  : — In  behalf  of  the  citizens  of  Swansea  we  request 
that  you  cause  to  be  prepared  and  published  a  Memorial  volume 
containing  an  account  of  the  exercises  which  took  place  on  Wed- 
nesday, Sept.  9,  1891,  at  the  dedication  of  the  Town  Hall;  and 
also  a  copy  of  the  deed  given  by  the  Hon.  Frank  S.  Stevens  to  the 
town  of  Swansea. 

William  P.  Mason,  ^  Selectmen 
Daniel  Hale,  >  of 

Samuel  G.  Arnold,  )  Swansea. 


ivi28l519 


THE  DEDICATION 


I  HE  formal  dedication  of  the  handsome  new  Town  Hall 
■^  at  Swansea  village,  the  gift  of  Hon.  Frank  Shaw 
Stevens,  occurred  on  Wednesday,  September  Ninth,  A.  D. 
1891,  with  appropriate  and  deeply  interesting  exercises. 

It  was  a  great  occasion  for  the  historic  old  town,  and 
many  of  her  sons  and  daughters  who  make  their  present 
home  in  other  communities  gathered  from  far  and  near  to 
do  honor  to  the  occasion,  and  renew  their  allegiance  to  the 
town  from  which  they  went  forth  to  the  fields  of  their  life's 
activities,  with  its  trials  and  its  triumphs. 

The  towns-people  were  early  on  the  scene,  and  when 
Mr.  Job  Gardner  opened  the  formal  exercises  at  11  o'clock, 
the  hall  was  crowded  to  repletion  with  a  noble  gathering  of 
the  people  of  Swansea  and  their  friends. 

The  weather  was  of  a  delightful  character,  clear,  cool 
and  inspiring,  and  this  fact  contributed  much  to  the  success 
of  the  occasion.  The  ladies  of  the  town  sent  a  committee 
to  decorate  and  adorn  the  hall  and  its  rooms  with  beautiful 
flowers.  They  did  their  work  in  an  excellent  manner,  and 
the  result  was  seen  on  the  platform  of  the  hall,  in  the  pub- 
lic library  and  in  the  selectmen's  room. 


6  DEDICATION    OF   THE 

On  the  speaker's  stand,  in  the  center  of  the  platform, 
was  a  basket  of  handsome  flowers,  while  in  the  front  was  a 
row  of  beautiful  potted  plants.  At  each  end  was  a  bank  of 
flowers, — ferns,  golden  rod,  lilies,  etc.  These  were  arranged 
by  Mrs.  I.  W.  Pierce  and  Miss  Laura  E.  Allen,  while  an 
attractive  display  of  ferns  and  golden  rod,  with  bright  flow- 
ers to  show  a  contrast,  was  placed  in  the  selectmen's  room 
and  in  the  public  library  room  by  Miss  Julia  R.  Wellington, 
the  librarian,  and  her  assistant,  Miss  Carrie  A.  Chase. 

The  exercises  were  announced  to  commence  at  eleven 
o'clock,  but  an  hour  before  that  time  the  hall  was  filled  with 
a  distinguished  company  of  people,  and  late  comers  were 
obliged  to  stand  either  in  the  corridor  or  the  rooms  to  be  oc- 
cupied by  the  selectmen  and  public  library.  While  the  peo- 
ple were  gathering  the  Swansea  Brass  Band  gave  an  inter- 
esting concert  on  the  lawn  in  front  of  the  hall. 

Hooper's  Steamer  Puritan  Orchestra  rendered  the  fol- 
lowing concert  programme  in  a  manner  that  elicited  fre- 
quent applause  and  gave  much  pleasure  to  those  who  lis- 
tened. 

March — Steamer  Puritan 

Overture — Auld  Lang  Syne D.  Miller. 

Descriptive  Piece — A  Trip  to  Great  Britain .  .  Loesch. 

Selection  from  "  Faust" Gounod. 

Overture — Jubal Weber. 

The  following  named  gentlemen  were  seated  upon  the 
platform : 

Mr.  Job  Gardner,  president  of  the  day  ;  Hon.  Frank  S. 
Stevens,  the  donor  of  the  building  ;  Hon.  John  Summerfield 
Bray  ton,  the  orator  of  the  day ;  Rev.  Percy  S.  Grant  of  Fall 
River,  chaplain  of  the  day  ;  the  venerable  Rev.  Benjamin 
H.  Chase  of  Swansea  ;  Maj.  James  Brown  of  Taunton,  the 
first  Swansea  man  to  graduate  from  college ;  Jonathan  M. 


TOWN   HALL,   SWANSEA.  7 

Wood,  Esq.,  of  Fall  River  ;  Hon.  E.  L.  Barney  of  New 
Bedford  ;  D.  A.  Waldron  of  Barrington  ;  Edmund  Arnold, 
Dr.  J.  M.  Wellington,  Obadiah  Chase,  E.  M.  Thurston,  of 
Swansea  ;  Wm.  P.  Mason,  Daniel  Hale  and  Samuel  Arnold, 
selectmen  of  Swansea  ;  Levi  Cummings,  ex-selectman  ;  Jere- 
miah Gray,  William  C.  Davol,  Jr.,  Rev.  Payson  W.  Lyman, 
John  S.  Brayton,  Jr.,  John  P.  Slade,  Benjamin  Buflfinton, 
Henry  S.  Fenner,  George  Slade,  David  F.  Slade,  Esq.  ;  the 
venerable  William  Mason  of  Fall  River,  a  native  of  Swan- 
sea ;  Jonathan  Slade,  Hon.  Wm.  Lawton  Slade,  Hon.  Daniel 
Wilbur,  of  Somerset ;  Rev.  George  E.  Allen,  Hon.  Weaver 
Osborn,  Robert  Adams,  Job  B.  French,  Wm.  Lindsey,  T.  D. 
W.  Wood  and  others  of  Fall  River  ;  Rev.  O.  O.  Wright  of 
Newton,  Conn.,  and  others.  Mr.  Gardner  arose  and  wel- 
comed the  people.     He  said  : 

"  Ladies  and  gentlemen  : — To  me  has  been  assigned  the 
pleasant  duty  of  presiding  on  this  occasion.  In  view  of 
what  is  to  follow,  however,  I  will  not  detain  you  with  any 
extended  remarks.  I  heartily  welcome  you  here  on  this 
auspicious  day,  and  trust  that  it  will  prove  to  all,  one  of 
memorable  interest,  pleasure  and  profit." 

Prayer  was  then  offered  by  Rev.  Percy  S.  Grant  of 
Fall  River,  after  which  Mr.  Stevens,  the  donor  of  the  build- 
ing, was  presented  by  Mr.  Gardner,  who  said  :  "I  now  have 
the  pleasure  of  presenting  to  you,  the  Honorable  Frank 
Shaw  Stevens,  who  is  too  well  and  favorably  known  in  this 
community  to  need  an  introduction." 


DEDICATION   OF   THE 


Address  and  Presentation 

BY  HON.  FRANK  SHAW  STEVENS. 


I  -^  RE  AT  applause  greeted  Mr.  Stevens  as  he  rose  to 
^-^  respond  to  the  call  of  the  chairman,  and  the  high 
esteem  in  which  he  is  held  by  his  towns-people  was  manifested 
frequently  during  the  progress  of  his  brief  but  characteristic 
address.     Mr.  Stevens  said : 

Mr.  Chairman,  ladies  and  gentlemen  : — 

The  occasion  for  which  we  have  met  here  today  is  one 
of  the  greatest  pleasure  to  me.  Although  not  to  the  manor 
born,  I  have  been  a  resident  of  the  town  and  your  neighbor 
for  more  than  thirty  years.  I  believe  I  can  safely  say  there 
is  no  one  who  feels  a  greater  interest  or  takes  more  pride  in 
the  prosperity  of  the  town  and  its  people  than  I  do. 

The  first  town  meeting  I  ever  attended  here  was  held  in 
the  vestry  of  the  Christian  Church,  and  the  town  meetings 
were  held  there  for  a  number  of  years  after.  When  the 
Christian  Society  decided  that  politics  and  religion  did  not 
harmonize  very  well,  it  notified  the  town  officials  that  they 
would  have  to  procure  other  quarters,  which  they  succeeded 
in  getting  at  Swansea  Factory  ;  and  our  meetings  and  elec- 
tions have  been  held  there  since  that  time.  I  must  say  that 
they  were  very  inadequate  quarters,  particularly  so  when 
politics  ran  high.  When  the  warrant  was  issued  calling 
the  annual  town  meeting  to  be  held  in  March  1890,  there 


^^^^.  (^^^d  ^^da^ui^  ^^^€^^n^. 


TOWN    HALL,   SWANSEA.  9 

was  a  clause  to  see  if  the  town  would  vote  to  build  a  town 
hall  and  make  appropriations  therefor.  When  I  saw  it,  I 
made  up  my  mind  to  propose  at  the  town  meeting  to  build  a 
town  hall  and  present  it  to  the  town  :  which  proposition  was 
unanimously  accepted,  and  the  building  we  are  now  in  is  the 
result. 

I  wish  to  put  myself  on  record  by  saying  that  I  had  no 
selfish  or  personal  motive  in  wishing  the  building  located 
here,  as  I  think  anyone  giving  anything  to  a  city  or  town 
ought  to  do  it  so  as  to  benefit  future  generations  as  well  as 
the  present.  For  the  past  four  or  five  years  when  in  conver- 
sation with  citizens  and  others  interested  in  the  town,  I  have 
casually  asked  them  what  part  of  the  town  they  thought  was 
going  to  increase  in  value  and  population  the  most  in  the 
next  fifty  years.  I  can  safely  say  without  an  exception  they 
said  "  Gardner's  Neck."  When  asking  them  their  reason, 
they  said  because  of  its  location,  it  being  bounded  on  the 
east  by  Lee's  River,  on  the  west  by  Cole's  and  on  the  south 
by  Mount  Hope  Bay,  and  it  also  had  railroad  facilities  which 
no  other  part  of  the  town  enjoyed.  Taking  the  last  ten 
years  as  a  basis,  I  think  they  were  right  in  their  judgment. 

With  this  object  in  view,  some  four  or  five  years  ago 
when  making  alterations  in  my  will,  I  left  some  thousands  of 
dollars  to  the  town  for  the  purpose  of  erecting  a  hall,  and  I 
left  it  without  any  restrictions  of  any  kind,  having  confi- 
dence in  the  good  judgment  of  the  voters  of  the  town  that 
they  would  erect  a  building  in  the  proper  place. 

I  do  not  take  any  credit  to  myself  for  the  tower,  clock 
and  bell,  as  that  was  the  suggestion  of  a  friend  of  the  town, 
and  mine  as  well.  A  few  days  after  it  became  public,  I  re- 
ceived a  communication  something  like  this  :  it  commenced, 
"  My  Venerable  Friend  : — I  see  by  the  papers  that  you  are 
going  to  erect  a  hall  and  present  it  to  your  fellow  citizens. 
I  think  that  it  is  a  very  nice  thing  for  you  to  do,  and  one 


10  .  DEDICATION   OF  THE 

that  will  be  appreciated.  I  have  a  suggestion  to  make 
which  is,  do  not  fail  to  have  a  tower  and  put  in  a  clock  and 
bell :  for  when  the  belated  traveller  is  passing  along  and 
hears  the  bell  striking  the  hour  of  the  night  he  will  say, 
'  God  bless  the  donor  of  that  clock  and  bell.'  "  He  closed 
by  saying  "  I  can  give  this  disinterested  advice  as  I  do  not 
have  to  pay  the  bills." 

The  manner  in  which  this  thing  was  put  pleased  me 
very  much,  and  the  tower,  bell  and  clock  are  the  result. 

Mr.  Chairman  of  the  Board  of  Selectmen,  I  now  have 
the  pleasure  of  presenting  to  you  the  deed  of  this  property 
and  the  keys  to  the  building,  with  the  hope  that  the  citizens 
of  the  town  will  have  as  much  pleasure  in  receiving,  as  I 
have  in  making  the  gift. 


As  Mr.  Stevens  handed  the  important  document  and 
the  keys  to  Mr.  William  P.  Mason,  the  chairman  of  the 
selectmen,  the  applause  of  the  audience  was  enthusiastic 
and  long  continued. 

Mr.  Mason,  chairman  of  the  selectmen,  accepted  the 
munificent  gift  in  a  brief  address.     He  spoke  as  follows  : 

RESPONSE  OF  MR.  MASON. 

"  Mr.  Stevens : — In  behalf  of  the  citizens  of  Swansea, 
allow  me  to  thank  you  for  the  generous  and  beautiful  gift 
you  bestow  on  us,  and  we  know  that  within  its  walls  we  shall 
find  among  us  men  who  can  govern  our  town  in  such  a 
manner  as  will  be  acceptable  to  all  our  citizens.  I  know  the 
citizens  of  this  town  will  all  join  with  me  in  wishing  a  long 
life,  combined  with  health  and  happiness,  to  Swansea's  best 
friend  and  most  liberal  benefactor." 

Hooper's  Orchestra  then  rendered  a  selection,  and  con- 
tributed delightful  music  at  intervals  during  the  exercises. 


TOWN   HALL,    SWANSEA. 


11 


The  President  then  introduced  the  Hon.  John  Summer- 
field  Brayton  of  Fall  River,  a  native  of  Swansea  Village, 
who  would  deliver  the  historical  address  of  the  day. 

Mr.  Brayton  spoke  in  a  clear  voice,  and  held  the  un- 
divided attention  of  the  large  audience  for  more  than  one 
hour,  during  the  delivery  of  an  address  rich  in  historical  in- 
formation, choice  in  language,  and  eloquent  in  the  presenta- 
tion of  facts  that  made  every  one  present  honor  the  name  of 
Swansea. 


12  DEDICATION   OF   THE 


Historical  Address 


BY   HON.  JOHN  SUMMERFIELD  BRAYTOX. 


^xWANSEA  to-(lay  dedicates  its  first  town  hall.  An 
}<^  honored  and  generous  citizen  has  erected  this  sightly 
and  commodious  structure,  adapted  to  the  uses  of  the  town 
and  library,  and  has  in  your  presence  presented  the  same, 
with  its  appointments,  as  a  free  gift  to  the  town  Thus,  this 
ancient  and  historic  municipality  comes  into  possession  of  a 
town  hall,  worthy  of  its  name  and  fame.  Few  rural  towns 
in  the  Commonwealth  have  been  so  signally  favored. 

For  nearly  two  centuries  and  a  quarter,  town  meetings 
have  been  held  here,  but  never  yet  in  any  town  building  other 
than  the  meeting  house.  From  the  first  the  town  meeting 
was  regarded  as  of  high  importance.  In  1670  it  was  "or- 
dered that  whatsoever  inhabitant  of  this  town  shall  absent 
himself  from  any  town  meeting  to  which  he  shall  be  legally 
warned,  he  shall  for  every  such  absence,  forfeit  four  shil- 
lings." Affairs  of  the  greatest  importance  were  there  dis- 
cussed and  settled,  and  it  was  felt  to  be  every  citizen's  duty 
to  share  in  public  decisions.  What  was  a  duty  was  also 
generally  regarded  as  a  privilege. 


TOWN    HALL,    SWANSEA.  13 

Originally  these  assemblies  were  held  at  the  meeting- 
house in  what  is  now  Barriiigton,  afterwards  at  North  Swan- 
sea, at  private  dwellings,  in  the  meeting  house  at  Luther's 
Corner,  and  recently  in  the  hall  at  Swansea  Factory.  The 
dwelling  house  of  Jonathan  Hill  and  his  son  Caleb  Hill, 
now  the  residence  of  Mrs.  Kate  F.  Gardner  in  this  village, 
was  thus  frequently  used,  as  were  also  the  houses  of  James 
Brown,  James  Luther  and  of  Caleb  Slade,  the  latter  now 
the  residence  of  Deacon  Arnold.  For  four  years  just  prior 
to  the  division  of  the  town  the  house  of  Capt.  Joseph 
Swazey  at  the  north  end  of  Somerset  was  thus  utilized. 

As  long  ago  as  1812  a  vote  to  build  a  town  house  was 
passed,  but  it  was  speedily  reconsidered,  and  the  proposition 
has  never  since  been  successfully  carried  through,  although 
frequently  discussed  in  town  meetings.  The  contention  has 
been  happily  settled  by  this  day's  events.  We  congratulate 
Swansea  upon  receiving  this  tangible  proof  of  the  loyalty  and 
affection  of  her  adopted  son,  and  we  congratulate  him  that 
by  this  act  he  has  raised  in  the  hearts  of  this  people  a  mon- 
ument more  enduring  than  the  pile  he  has  reared.  The  wise 
man  says,  ''  The  liberal  soul  shall  be  made  fat,  and  he  that 
watereth  shall  be  watered  also  himself." 

We  are  here  to  revive  the  memories  of  the  old  town,  to 
recall  briefly  some  of  the  scenes,  and  some  of  the  leading- 
actors  in  its  long  and  honorable  history,  and  to  sketch, 
though  it  can  only  be  in  outline,  the  course  of  events  which 
have  given  it  celebrity,  and  which  merit  more  elaborate  re- 
cord than  they  have  received,  or  than  can  now  be  given. 

Its  ancient  territory  included  the  home  of  that  justly 
celebrated  and  honored  Indian  chief,  Massasoit,  who  became 
the  fast  and  inalienable  friend  of  the  English  of  Plymouth 
Colony,  and  whose  home  was  at  Sowams,  within  the  territory 
now  covered  by  the  village  of  Warren.  Its  soil  was  prob- 
ably first  trodden  by  Englishmen  when  a  visit  was  paid  to 


14  DEDICATION    OF   THE 

Massasoit  in  the  summer  following  the  Pilgrim's  landing,  by 
Edward  Winslow,  afterwards  Governor  of  Plymouth  Colony, 
and  Stephen  Hopkins.  The  object  of  the  visit  was  to  ex- 
plore the  country,  ascertain  the  strength  and  power  of  the 
sachem,  procure  corn,  and  strengthen  the  mutual  good  un- 
derstanding. They  reached  Massasoit's  residence  July  4th, 
having  crossed  the  Titicut  or  Taunton  river  about  three  miles 
from  Taunton  Green,  and  passed  through  what  is  now  the 
town  of  Swansea  from  east  to  west. 

The  next  visit  of  the  colonists  was  that  of  Capt.  Miles 
Standish  and  fourteen  of  the  English  to  the  home  of  Corbi- 
tant,  a  petty  sachem  under  Massasoit,  who  lived  "  at  the  head 
of  the  Neck,"  called  by  the  Indians  Metapoiset,  now  Gard- 
ner's Neck.  Corbitant's  residence  could  not  have  been  far 
from  this  place.  Some  historians  locate  it  in  this  village. 
Capt.  Standish  and  his  party  came  to  take  vengeance  on 
Corbitant,  in  case  a  rumor  that  he  had  taken  the  life  of 
Squanto,  a  friendly  Indian,  was  true.  They  attacked  his 
wigwam  in  the  dead  of  night,  badly  wounding  three  of  its 
inmates.  As  it  was  found  that  Squanto  had  not  been  slain, 
no  harm  was  inflicted  on  Corbitant.  The  wounded  were  ta- 
ken to  Plymouth  for  treatment  and  afterwards  returned  with 
their  wounds  healed. 

lu  March,  1623,  Winslow  accompanied  by  John  Hamp- 
den paid  his  second  visit  to  Massasoit,  having  been  informed 
of  his  serious  illness.  They  came  down  the  east  side  of  Taun- 
ton river  to  what  is  now  Slade's  Ferry  ;  where  they  were  told 
that  Massasoit  was  dead.  Anxious,  in  that  case,  to  concili- 
ate Corbitant,  Winslow  decided  to  visit  him  at  Metapoiset. 
Finding  on  their  arrival  that  he  had  gone  to  visit  Massasoit, 
and  being  assured  that  there  was  no  certain  news  of  the  death 
of  the  chief,  Winslow  sent  a  messenger  to  Sowams  who 
brouo:ht  back  word  that  he  was  still  alive.  Winslow  then 
hastened  to  Sowams  and  found  Massasoit  apparently  near 


TOWN  HALL,  SWANSEA.  15 

death,  but  by  the  judicious  use  of  remedies  he  was  able  to 
save  his  life.  This  humane  act  determined  the  long  and 
effective  friendship  of  Massasoit  for  the  colonists,  and  so 
proved  of  the  greatest  value.  Winslow  and  Hampden  de- 
parted from  Sowams  followed  by  the  blessings  of  the  sachem 
and  all  his  people.  At  Corbitant's  invitation  they,  on  their 
way  home,  spent  a  night  with  him  here,  being  treated  with 
most  generous  hospitality. 

During  the  twenty  years  next  succeeding,  the  colonists 
added  to  Plymouth  the  six  settled  towns,  Duxbury,  Scituate, 
Taunton,  Barnstable,  Sandwich  and  Yarmouth.  A  trading 
post  was  located  in  Sowams  as  early  as  1632,  in  which  year 
Massasoit  fled  for  shelter  from  the  Narragansetts  "  to  an 
English  house  at  Sowams."  But  there  was  no  settlement  in 
this  vicinity  sufficient  to  warrant  a  town  organization  till 
1645,  when  Rehoboth  was  incorporated.  The  same  year 
John  Brown  bought  Wannamoisett  Neck  of  Massasoit. 
Three  years  later  the  church  of  Rehoboth  suffered  a  "  serious 
schism,"  the  "  first  real  schism"  in  religion  which  had  taken 
place  in  the  colony.  Obadiah  Holmes  and  eight  others  with- 
drew, set  up  "  a  meeting  by  themselves,"  and  afterwards 
joined  a  Baptist  church  in  Newport,  whither  some  of  them 
moved. 

The  same  year  a  Baptist  church  was  organized  in 
Swansea,  in  Wales,  under  the  pastorate  of  John  Myles,  who 
for  the  previous  four  years  had  preached  with  great  success 
in  various  places.  This  was  in  the  first  year  of  Cromwell's 
protectorate.  Under  the  religious  freedom  thus  gained,  the 
church  at  Swansea  grew  to  a  membership  of  three  hundred. 
Mr.  Myles  became  the  leading  Baptist  minister  in  Wales. 
When  the  monarchy  was  restored  the  act  of  uniformity  was 
passed,  which  drove  two  thousand  of  the  best  ministers  in 
England  from  their  places.  Mr.  Myles,  with  some  mem- 
bers of  his  church,  came  to  America  in  1663.     Finding  that 


16  DEDICATION   OF   THE 

in  Rehoboth  there  were  persons  holding  his  faith,  he  went 
thither  and  formed  a  church  of  seven  members. 

Tlieir  "  holy  covenant  "  is  a  remarkable  document,  both 
in  respect  to  the  piety,  and  the  spirit  of  Christian  fellow- 
ship, which  it  evinces.  They  declare  that  union  with  Christ 
is  the  sole  ground  of  their  union,  and  of  the  Christian  fel- 
lowship which  they  seek  and  will  give. 

Nevertheless,  as  soon  as  it  became  known  that  a  Bap- 
tist church  had  been  organized,  the  churches  of  the  colony 
solicited  the  court  to  interpose  its  influence  against  it,  and 
Pastor  Myles  and  James  Brown  were  fined  each  £6  and 
Nicholas  Tanner  20s.  for  setting  up  a  public  meeting  with- 
out the  knowledge  and  approbation  of  the  court,  to  the  dis- 
turbance of  the  peace.  They  were  further  ordered  to  desist 
from  their  meeting  for  the  space  of  a  month,  and  advised  to 
remove  to  some  place  where  they  would  not  prejudice  any 
other  church.  This  colonial  disfavor  towards  those  holding 
Baptist  views  is  the  fundamental  fact  in  the  origin  of 
Swansea. 

A  plain  house  of  worship  was  at  once  built,  just  over 
the  southern  border  of  Rehoboth,  in  New  Meadow  Neck, 
the  members  gradually  settling  near  it.  The  catholic  spirit 
of  Mr.  Myles  drew  thither  not  only  Baptists,  but  others  who 
were  tolerant  of  their  opinions. 

Being  without  town  government,  these  settlers  thought 
to  secure  for  themselves  that  measure  of  civil  autonomy. 
Previous  to  Oct.  3d,  1667,  Plymouth  granted  to  Thomas 
Willett  and  his  neighbors  of  Wannamoisett  the  privilege  of 
becoming  a  town.  On  the  above  date  they  signified  their 
desire  for  incorporation.  To  the  new  town  was  giv^en  the 
name  borne  by  the  place  in  Wales  whence  Pastor  Myles  had 
been  driven,  Swansea,  the  Sea  of  Swans.  It  lay  between  the 
two  upper  forks  of  Narragansett  Bay,  south  of  the  Rehoboth 
and  Taunton  lines,  and  extended  from  Taunton  to  Provi- 


TOWN   HALL,   SWANSEA.  17 

dence  rivers.  It  consists  of  a  series  of  five  main  peninsulas 
or  necks  projecting  southward,  and  separated  by  arms  of  the 
bay  and  the  streams  flowing  into  them.  The  first  neck  on 
the  east  is  Shewamet,  now  Somerset,  lying  between  Taunton 
and  Lee's  rivers ;  the  next  is  Metapoiset,  now  known  as 
Gardner's  Neck,  between  Lee's  and  Cole's  rivers  ;  the  third 
is  Kickemuit,  between  Cole's  and  Warren  rivers.  This  tract 
is  traversed  by  the  Kickemuit  river,  which,  where  it  broad- 
ens towards  the  bay,  divides  the  tract  into  Toweset  and  Mont- 
haup  (or  Mount  Hope)  Necks.  The  fourth  is  New  Meadow 
Neck,  between  Warren  and  Barrington  rivers ;  and  the  fifth 
is  Wannamoisett  Neck,  between  Barrington  and  Providence 
rivers.  The  area  of  the  old  town  has  been  three  times  re- 
duced :  first  in  1717,  by  the  separate  incorporation  of  Bar- 
rington ;  second  by  the  settlement  of  the  line  between  Massa- 
chusetts and  Rhode  Island  in  1747,  whereby  Little  Comp- 
ton,  Tiverton,  Barrington,  Cumberland  and  the  part  of 
Swansea  now  known  as  Warren  fell  to  Rhode  Island  ;  and 
third  in  1790,  when  the  tract  known  as  Shewamet  was  made 
a  separate  town  by  the  name  of  Somerset. 

As  we  have  seen,  the  motive  to  this  settlement  was 
religious.  Ecclesiastical  freedom  was  the  goal  which  led  the 
founders  hither.  The  church  was  thus  the  basis  of  the  town, 
and  the  town  organization  was  in  order  that,  in  gaining  eccle- 
siastical liberty,  they  need  not  sacrifice  the  high  privilege  of 
American  citizenship.  Some  of  those  who  were  active  in 
planting  the  church  and  town  were  not  Baptists.  They,  how- 
ever, saw  that  underneath  the  difference  which  separates  Bap- 
tists from  their  fellow  Christians,  there  was  a  fundamental 
adhesion  to  the  essentials  of  the  faith.  Hence  they  were 
willing  to  co-operate  with  Baptists  in  extending  the  bounds 
both  of  the  kingdom  of  God  and  of  the  Commonwealth.  This 
diversity  of  opinion  resulted  in  a  town  where  a  larger  meas- 


18  Dedicatioj^  of  tsti 

ure  of  religious  liberty  was  enjoyed  than  anywhere  else  in 
the  colony. 

Historians  agree  in  calling  Pastor  Myles  and  Capt. 
Thomas  Willett  the  fathers  of  the  town.  To  Capt.  Willett, 
with  four  others,  was  given  the  trust  of  "  the  admittance  of 
town  inhabitants.''  The  terms  of  membership  which  Willett 
proposed  were  laid  before  the  church,  and,  after  considera- 
tion by  that  body,  a  reply  was  made  by  Mr.  Myles  and  John 
Butterworth.  This  document  is  a  careful  *'  explication"  of 
the  sense  in  which  the  proposals  are  to  be  understood  and 
accepted,  and  reveals  the  scholarly  and  trained  mind  of  the 
pastor.  Like  all  other  documents  relating  to  the  settlement, 
this  clearly  shows  the  religious  motive  to  have  been  domin- 
ant. The  "  explications"  made  by  the  church  were  agreed 
to  by  the  trustees,  and  the  proposals,  as  thus  explained,  were 
adopted  by  the  town  February  20th,  1669. 

On  the  foundation  thus  laid,  Swansea  was  built.  Un- 
til this  time  Baptists  had  been  excluded,  from  every  colony 
in  New  England  except  Rhode  Island.  The  organization  of 
this  town  on  the  basis  of  religious  toleration  was  thus  an  im- 
portant epoch  in  the  history  of  religious  opinions  and  of  ec- 
clesiastical life.  This  church,  which  still  lives  and  worships 
at  North  Swansea,  was  the  first  Baptist  church  formed  in 
Massachusetts,  and  the  fourth  in  the  United  States.  Thus 
this  town  may  justly  claim  to  be  the  cradle  of  that  branch 
of  the  Christian  church  in  this  Commonwealth. 

At  the  close  of  King  Philip's  war,  owing  to  the  broken 
condition  of  his  church,  Mr.  Myles  labored  three  years  in 
Boston.  Finally  the  urgent  entreaties  of  his  people  caused 
his  return.  As  the  settlement  was  mainly  broken  up,  and 
a  new  one  had  been  started  further  down  the  Neck,  a  parson- 
age and  a  church  were  there  built.  The  death  of  Mr.  Myles 
in  1683  closed  a  faithful  and  fruitful  ministry  of  thirty-eight 
years. 


TOWN   HALL,    SWANSEA.  19 

EARLY   PUBLIC    SCHOOLS. 

In  the  original  partition  of  the  public  lands,  there  was 
reserved  a  pastor's,  a  teacher's  and  a  schoolmaster's  lot. 
This  shows,  that,  at  the  outset,  the  people  counted  on  the 
establishment  of  schools.  December  19,  1673,  it  was  order- 
ed "  that  a  school  should  be  forthwith  set  up  in  this  town  for 
the  teaching  of  grammar,  rhetoric  and  arithmetic,  and  the 
tongues  of  Latin,  Greek  and  Hebrew,  also  to  read  English 
and  to  write,"  and  "  that  Mr.  John  Myles  the  present  pastor 
of  the  church  here  assembling  be  schoolmaster,"  or  "  to  have 
power  to  dispose  the  same  to  an  able  schoolmaster  during  the 
said  pastor's  life."  The  salary  was  to  be  "  <£40  in  current 
country  funds,"  but  on  condition  that  Mr.  Myles  and  his 
successor  should  accept  whatever  the  people  would  bestow  in 
a  weekly  contribution  for  their  ministerial  services.  Mr. 
Myles  accepted  the  proposition  and  held  his  school  in  vari- 
ous parts  of  the  town  on  successive  months,  to  suit  the  con- 
venience of  pupils.  Thus  he  deserves  grateful  remembrance 
not  only  as  the  first  pastor  but  also  as  the  early  schoolmaster 
and  teacher  of  youth  who  laid  the  foundation  of  the  public 
schools  of  Swansea. 

After  his  death  no  mention  is  made  of  a  school  till 
1698,  when  Jonathan  Bosworth  was  employed  at  X18,  one- 
fourth  in  money  and  the  rest  in  provisions  at  money  prices. 
He  was  to  teach  the  first  month  in  Wannamoisett  Neck,  the 
second  in  New  Meadow  Neck,  the  third  in  Kickemuit,  the 
fourth  in  the  Cole  neighborhood,  and  fifth  on  Metapoiset, 
and  so  in  succession.  Later,  John  Devotion  was  engaged  at 
<£12  and  board  and  X20  for  feeding  a  horse,  to  keep  a  school 
in  succession  "  in  the  four  quarters  of  the  town."  In  1709 
he  engaged  for  six  years,  and  in  1715  for  twenty  years  more. 
At  this  time  it  was  voted  that  he  should  "  teach  our  youth 
to  read  Inglish  and  Lattin  and  wright  &  sifer  as  their  may 


20  DEDICATION    OF   THE 

be  occation."  He  was  to  teach  five  months  each  year,  from 
October  through  February,  the  first  two  months  near  his 
own  dwelling,  and  the  other  three  in  other  parts  of  the  town. 
His  compensation  was  £11  10s.  a  year,  three  pounds  of 
which  was  to  be  paid  for  the  use  of  the  schoolmaster's  lot. 
Such  were  the  beginnings  of  our  public  schools. 

DIVISION  OF  INHABITANTS  INTO  RANKS, 
AND  DIVISION  OF  LAND. 

To  the  trustees  of  the  town  was  also  assigned  the  duty 
of  dividing  the  public  lands.  The  method  of  division  was 
as  undemocratic  as  it  was  unprecedented.  The  men  were 
divided  into  three  ranks,  according  to  the  judgment  of  the 
trustees  as  to  their  standing.  Promotions  and  degradations 
were  made  from  time  to  time  by  a  committee  appointed  by 
the  town.  The  men-  of  the  first  rank  received  three  acres  to 
two  granted  those  of  the  second  and  to  one  granted  those  in 
the  third.  The  majority  were  of  the  second  rank,  though 
more  were  of  the  third  than  of  the  first.  For  ten  years  this 
ranking  system  was  in  force.  But  it  broke  down  when  in 
1681  the  committee  granted  to  five  men,  their  heirs  and  as- 
signs forever,  "the  full  right  and  interest  of  the  highest 
rank."  It  was  all  these  freemen  could  stand  to  have  a  landed 
aristocracy.  But  to  have  it  made  hereditary  they  would 
not  endure,  and  so  the  town  by  unanimous  vote  repudiated 
the  act  of  the  committee,  and  from  that  time  the  practice 
went  into  disuse. 

CAPTAIN  THOMAS  WILLETT. 

Of  Capt.  Thomas  Willett  much  might  be  said.  One 
of  the  last  of  the  Leyden  colony  to  come  to  Plymouth,  he 
early  secured  and  always  enjoyed  the  confidence  of  the  col- 
onists. Their  agent  at  the  Maine  trading  posts,  successor 
of  Miles  Standish  in  military  command,  largely  engaged  in 


TOWN    HALL,    SWANSEA.  21 

coastwise  traffic,  long  an  assistant  in  the  Plymouth  govern- 
ment, an  arbitrator  between  his  colony  and  Rhode  Island  on 
boundary  disputes,  chosen  by  Governor  Stuyvesant  of  New 
Amsterdam  as  a  man  of  fairness  and  integrity  to  represent 
the  Dutch  in  their  controversy  with  the  Englisfer-  "  More 
acquainted  with  the  manners  and  customs  of  the  Dutch  than 
any  Englishman  in  the  colony,"  and  hence  the  leading  advis- 
er of  the  English  in  the  negotiations  which  resulted  in  the 
surrender  of  New  Amsterdam  ;  prominent  in  organizing  New 
York,  its  first  mayor,  and  who  "  twice  did  sustaine  the 
place,"  trusted  beyond  any  other  man  by  English,  Dutch 
and  Indians,  a  settler  in  Swansea  as  early  as  1659  or  '60, 
and  until  his  death  its  foremost  citizen,  dying  Aug.  4th, 
1674,  less  than  a  year  before  Swansea  was  ravaged  by  Philip's 
Indians,  buried  with  his  wife  near  the  head  of  Bullock's  cove 
in  East  Providence  ;  such  in  outline  was  the  life  of  Capt. 
Thomas  WiUett. 

KING  Philip's  war. 

The  gradual  alienation  of  their  lands  to  the  English, 
and  the  consequent  growth  of  English  settlements,  threatened 
the  ascendancy  if  not  the  existence  of  the  Indian  tribes. 
Against  the  latter  contingency  the  colonists  sought  to  guard. 
When  the  Plymouth  authorities  gave  Capt.  WiUett  liberty 
to  purchase  lands  in  Swansea,  they  added  the  express  proviso, 
"  so  as  he  do  not  too  much  straiten  the  Indians."  But  by 
his  land  sales,  Philip,  son  and  successor  of  Massasoit,  became 
shut  into  Mount  Hope  peninsula,  so  that  his  only  land  route 
out  lay  through  Swansea. 

We  cannot  now  refer  to  the  events  which  led  to  Philip's 
fierce  and  fatal  outbreak,  which,  in  its  course,  despoiled 
New  England  of  a  dozen  towns,  six  hundred  dwellings,  and 
as  many  of  its  choicest  young  men.  Swansea  was  destined 
to  suffer  the  first  baptism  of  blood  and  fire. 


22  DEDICATION    OF   THE 

Convinced  that  war  was  impending,  Maj.  James  Brown 
of  Swansea,  on  the  14th  of  June,  1675,  laid  the  facts  of  the 
case  before  Gov.  Winslow,  and  two  days  later  Capt.  Benja- 
min Church  brought  to  Plymouth  conclusive  evidence  that 
war  was  at  hand.  Measures  were  at  once  taken  to  oppose 
force  to  force.  On  Sunday,  June  20tli,  the  predicted  out- 
burst occurred.  Some  of  Philip's  men  raided  Swansea,  en- 
tering houses,  helping  themselves  to  food,  shooting  cattle 
and  committing  other  acts  of  lawlessness.  Most  of  the  men 
were  in  church,  but  cue  was  found  at  home,  whose  cattle 
were  shot,  and  whose  house  was  entered  and  liquor  demanded. 
When  it  was  refused,  violence  was  resorted  to,  whereujion 
the  householder  shot  one  of  the  Indians,  inflicting  a  serious, 
though  not  fatal  wound. 

A  son  of  Major  Brown  at  once  bore  tidings  of  the  out- 
break to  Plymouth.  A  fast  was  proclaimed  for  Thursday, 
June  24th.  The  troops  of  all  the  towns  were  ordered  to 
rendezvous  at  Taunton,  Monday  night,  and  messengers  were 
sent  to  Boston  to  urge  prompt  assistance.  A  stone  house, 
upon  the  farm  of  Gov.  Brenton,  at  Metapoiset,  occupied 
by  Jared  Bourne,  was  used  as  a  garrison,  which  the  Bridge- 
water  company  was  ordered  to  re-enforce.  This  company 
reached  the  garrison  Monday  night  and  found  there  seventy 
persons,  all  but  sixteen,  woman  and  children.  The  next 
day,  a  part  of  the  soldiers  having  escorted  Mr.  Brown  to 
his  home,  on  their  return  met  thirty  Indians,  and  a  little 
later  met  some  of  the  men  of  the  garrison  going  to  a  barn 
for  corn.  Though  warned  of  their  danger,  the  men  pro- 
ceeded and  were  assailed,  six  of  them  being  killed  or  mortally 
wounded. 

Thus  the  first  blood  of  the  war  was  shed  on  Gardner's 
Neck.  The  Bridgewater  troops  remained  at  Bourne's  gar- 
rison until  re-enforced,  when  the  inmates  were  conveyed 
down  Mount  Hope  Bay  to  Rhode  Island,  and   the   house 


The  Garrison  House  of  John  Myles. 


TOWN  HALL,  SWANSEA.  25 

abandoned.     This  house  stood  on  the  farm  long  occupied  by- 
Mr.  Saunders  Sherman. 

On  the  next  day,  June  23d,  another  man  was  shot 
within  the  bounds  of  Swansea,  and  his  wife  and  child  scalped. 
On  Thursday,  the  appointed  Fast  Day,  some  of  the  Swansea 
settlers  returning  from  church  were  attacked.  One  was 
killed,  another  was  wounded,  and  two  men  going  for  a  sur- 
geon were  slain.  On  the  same  day  in  another  part  of  the 
town  others  were  killed. 

"  By  this  time  half  of  Swansea  was  burned."  By 
Monday  night,  eTune  28th,  two  companies  of  foot  and  one  of 
cavalry  from  Boston  had  joined  the  Plymouth  forces  already 
assembled  at  the  garrison  house  of  Pastor  Myles,  which  is 
now  standing  near  Myles's  Bridge,  at  Barneyville.  This 
bridge  spans  what  is  now  known  as  Palmer's  river,  from 
Walter  Palmer,  an  elderly  settler  of  Rehoboth,  its  first 
representative  at  Plymouth,  whose  farm  was  on  its  banks. 
Across  this  bridge  a  detachment  of  cavalry  pushed,  but  were 
fired  upon  and  driven  back  with  the  loss  of  one  killed  and 
two  wounded.  Tuesday  morning  sesreral  Indians  having 
appeared,  were  driven  across  the  bridge  and  five  or  six  of 
them  slain.  That  night,  Philip  fearing  that  he  should  be 
caught  in  his  own  narrow  peninsula,  escaped  to  the  Pocas- 
set  country,  Tiverton,  across  the  Mount  Hope  Bay.  Major 
Savage,  who  had  been  placed  in  command  of  the  Massachu- 
setts troops,  having  arrived,  the  combined  forces  marched, 
into  Mount  Hope  Neck,  in  search  of  Philip.  On  their  way, 
at  Kickemuit,  near  the  present  village  of  Warren,  they  saw, 
set  upon  poles,  the  heads  of  the  men  who  had  been  slain  at 
Metapoiset.  They  continued  their  march  down  the  Neck, 
but  they  found  the  wigwams  untenanted  and  no  Indians  to 
be  seen. 

Thursday  the  Massachusetts  troops  returned  to  Myles's 
garrison,  the  cavalry  going  on  to  Rehoboth  for  better  quar- 


26  DEDICATION   OF  THE 

ters.  Keturning  the  next  morning  they  came  upon  some  In- 
dians burning  a  building,  and  killed  four  or  five  of  them. 
On  Sunday,  July  4th,  Capt.  Hutchinson  brought  orders  for 
the  Massachusetts  troops  to  go  to  Narraganset  country,  and 
seek  an  agreement  which  should  hold  that  tribe  back  from 
the  support  of  Philip. 

The  next  two  weeks  saw  the  expedition  of  Capt.  Fuller 
and  Church  to  the  Pocasset  and  Seaconnet  country,  which 
revealed  the  bitterly  hostile  temper  of  these  tribes ;  the 
two  expeditions  which  Church  led  to  the  Pocasset  Swamp, 
in  one  of  which  Philip  lost  fifteen  men,  the  march  of 
the  major  part  of  the  Plymouth  force  by  way  of  Taunton 
toward  the  swamp,  the  apparently  successful  negotiation  of 
the  Narragansetts,  their  return  to  Swansea  and  their  junction 
with  the  Plymouth  troops,  at  Pocasset  Swamp,  within  which 
Philip  had  taken  refuge.  Philip  eluded  his  besiegers  on 
the  night  of  the  last  day  of  July,  crossing  Taunton  river, 
probably  near  Dighton  Rock.  Though  assailed  while  cross- 
ing Seekonk  plain  by  the  men  of  Rehoboth  who  slew  some 
thirty  of  his  men,  he  escaped  into  the  Nipmunk  country. 
Thus  he  was  launched  upon  a  life  and  death  struggle  with 
the  colonists. 

With  unabated  fury  the  contest  raged  through  the  re- 
mainder of  1675  and  the  first  half  of  1676.  But  the  san- 
guinary and  ferocious  conquest  of  the  Narragansetts,  the 
desertion  of  many  of  his  confederates  and  the  death  of  many 
more,  left  Philip  in  an  almost  hopeless  plight ;  and  after 
a  year's  absence  he  seems  to  have  been  resolved  to  meet  his 
fate  in  the  beautiful  land  which  held  the  graves  of  his 
fathers,  and  which  had  been  his  home.  Abandoned  by  his 
confederates,  betrayed  by  his  friends,  his  most  faithful 
followers  fallen  in  battle,  his  wife  and  son  in  the  hands 
of  his  deadly  foes,  hunted  from  wood  to  wood,  from  swamp  to 
swamp,  he  had  come  to  his  ancestral  seat  to  make  his  last 


TOWN   HALL,    SWANSEA.  27 

stand.  Yet  such  was  his  temper  that  he  would  not  hear  of 
peace.  He  even  struck  dead  one  of  his  own  followers  for 
suggesting  it.  A  kinsman  of  the  man  thus  slain  brought 
news  of  Philip's  hiding  place  to  Capt.  Church,  who  with  his 
soldiers  was  on  Rhode  Island.  They  at  once  crossed  to 
Mount  Hope.  The  informer  acting  as  guide,  they  made 
their  way  up  the  west  side  of  the  Neck,  toward  the  swamp 
within  which  Philip  had  taken  refuge.  Creeping  stealthily 
up,  in  the  dark  of  the  early  morning,  the  force  completely 
invested  the  knoll  on  which  Philip  was  encamped.  When 
the  alarm  was  given,  he  plunged  into  the  swamp,  only  to 
meet  two  of  his  besiegers.  By  one  of  them,  the  Indian 
Alderman,  he  was  shot.  Thus  the  renowned  chieftain,  who 
had  been  the  terror  of  New  England,  fell,  pierced  through 
the  lungs  and  heart.  And  thus  ended  the  mortal  career  of 
the  most  noted  Indian  in  American  history. 

In  the  times  immediately  succeeding  his  uprising  and 
overthrow,  no  epithet  was  too  bitter  for  the  use  of  those 
against  whom  he  rose. 

But  history  has,  in  a  measure,  reversed  their  judgment. 
Though  all  must  rejoice  in  the  failure  of  his  attempt,  yet  we 
can  sympathize  with  the  motives  which  actuated  him.  In 
the  classic  words  of  Irving  :  "  He  was  a  patriot  attached  to 
his  native  soil, — a  prince,  true  to  his  subjects  and  indignant 
of  their  wrongs, — a  soldier,  daring  in  battle,  firm  in  ad- 
versity, patient  of  fatigue,  of  hunger,  of  every  variety  of 
bodily  suffering,  and  ready  to  perish  in  the  cause  he  had 
espoused."  "  With  heroic  qualities  and  bold  achievements 
that  would  have  graced  a  civilized  warrior,  and  have  ren- 
dered him  the  theme  of  the  poet  and  the  historian,  he  lived 
a  wanderer  and  a  fugitive  in  his  native  land,  and  went  down, 
like  a  lonely  bark,  foundering  amid  darkness  and  tempest — 
without  a  pitying  eye  to  weep  his  fall,  or  a  friendly  hand  to 
record  his  struggle." 


28  DEDICATION    OF   THE 

NOTABLE  MEN  OP  SWANSEA'S  FIRST  CENTURY. 

Among  the  best  known  of  Swansea's  early  settlers  was 
Maj.  James  Brown,  brother  of  Capt.  Willett's  wife.  He 
was  one  of  the  original  members  of  the  Swansea  Church, 
one  of  the  five  citizens  who  were  to  admit  to  the  town,  and 
divide  its  lands,  long  a  leading  citizen  and  officer,  represen- 
tative in  the  Plymouth  Court  in  1671-2,  a  local  leader  in  the 
campaign  against  Philip,  and  successor  of  Capt.  Willett,  as 
an  "  assistant  in  Plymouth  Colony." 

Another  name  not  to  be  forgotten  is  that  of  Lieut. 
Hugh  Cole,  an  original  member  of  the  church,  an  early  se- 
lectman, representing  the  town  seven  of  its  first  fifteen  terms 
in  the  General  Court.  Like  the  immortal  Washington, 
Lieut.  Cole  was  a  land  surveyor. 

In  1669  he  bought  of  Philip  five  hundred  acres  of  land 
on  Toweset  Neck,  on  the  west  side  of  the  river  to  which  his 
name  was  given. 

When  the  Indian  War  broke  out,  two  of  his  sons  were 
captured  and  taken  to  Philip's  headquarters.  Philip  released 
them  with  the  advice  that  their  father  should  seek  safety  on 
Rhode  Island.  He  at  once  took  his  family  thither,  probably 
down  the  Bay,  but  he  had  hardly  gone  when  his  house  was 
fired.  After  the  war  he  settled  on  the  west  side  of  the  Neck 
upon  Kickemuit  River.  His  farm,  and  the  weU  which  he 
dug  the  year  after  Philip's  death,  are  still  in  possession  of 
his  descendants. 

With  Willett  and  Brown  as  the  town's  first  trustees  was 
associated  Nathaniel  Paine,  who  afterwards  settled  on  the  Mt. 
Hope  lands,  and  became  one  of  the  founders  of  Bristol,  and 
the  third  Judge  of  Probate  for  Bristol  County.  The  first 
Judge  of  Probate  was  John  Saffin,  an  early  proprietor  of 
Swansea,  admitted  to  the  first  rank  among  its  inhabitants  in 
1680,  a  son-in-law  of  Capt.  Willett,  a  member  of  the  Gener- 


TOWN    HALL,    SWANSEA.  29 

al  Court  for  Boston  from  1684  and  Speaker  from  1686  till 
the  usurpation  of  Andros,  settling  in  Bristol  about  1688, 
Probate  Judge  from  1692  to  1702,  and  also  Judge  of  the 
Superior  Court  one  year. 

An  Associate  Justice  of  the  first  court  established  in 
Bristol  County  was  John  Brown  of  Swansea,  a  grandson  of 
the  first  John  Brown. 

One  of  the  early  large  proprietors  of  Swansea  land  was 
Governor  William  Brenton  of  Newport,  who  bought  Meta- 
poiset  Neck  of  the  Indians  in  1664.  Here  he  lived  for  a 
time  after  King  Philip's  War.  He  had  been  Governor  of 
Rhode  Island  Colony  from  1666  to  1669,  having  been  pre- 
viously Deputy  Governor  four  years.  He  became  a  very 
extensive  land  owner.  His  Metapoiset  land  was  cultivated 
by  Jared  Bourne,  whose  house  was  garrisoned  during  the 
war.  He  bequeathed  it  to  his  son  Ebenezer,  who  in  1693 
sold  it  to  Lieut.  Samuel  Gardner  and  Ralph  Chapman  for 
X1700.  Mr.  Gardner  took  the  south  part  and  Mr.  Chap- 
man the  north.  Mr.  Gardner  had  been  a  prominent  citizen 
of  Freetown,  representing  it  in  the  General  Court,  and  hold- 
ing the  offices  of  town  clerk,  treasurer  and  selectman.  To 
the  latter  office  he  was  at  once  chosen  in  Swansea,  but  did 
not  long  survive  his  removal  hither. 

In  1779,  Col.  Simeon  Potter,  a  native  of  Bristol,  one  of 
Rhode  Island's  prominent  men,  settled  on  Gardner's  Neck. 
His  homestead  farm  extended  from  Lee's  to  Cole's  rivers. 
He  was  the  owner  of  other  large  tracts  of  land.  For  more 
than  a  quarter  of  a  century  he  was  one  of  the  prominent 
figures  of  this  community,  a  hospitable  and  generous  house- 
holder, surrounded  by  whatever  wealth  could  command, 
owning  also  a  number  of  slaves.  Col.  Potter  was  represen- 
tative in  1784,  to  the  General  Court  from  Swansea.  In  1795 
he  gave  a  valuable  parcel  of  land  in  Newport  to  support  in 
that  city  a  free  school  forever  for  the  advantage  of  poor 


30  DEDICATION    OF   THE 

children  of  every  denomination.  A  large  school  house  erect- 
ed in  1880  is  called  the  Potter  school.  He  bequeathed  a 
small  farm  to  one  of  his  former  slaves,  in  the  possession  of 
whose  heirs  it  still  remains.  His  homestead  farm  and  the 
house  in  which  he  lived  are  now  owned  by  Mrs.  Macomber.* 

SUCCESSIVE  PASTORATES  OF  THE  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

The  immediate  successor  of  Mr.  Myles  in  the  Swansea 
pastorate  was  Captain  Samuel  Luther,  a  founder  and  early 
proprietor  of  the  town,  in  whose  affairs  he  wielded  great  in- 
fluence, sustaining  nearly  every  civil  and  military  office  in 
the  gift  of  his  townsmen.  He  was  ordained  two  years  after 
the  death  of  Mr.  Myles,  and  held  the  pastorate  thirty-two 
years.  The  old  meeting  house  at  North  Swansea,  which 
was  familiar  to  many  of  you,  was  built  the  year  after  his 
death,  in  1717,  and  stood  until  1845,  when  it  was  taken  down 
and  the  present  house  of  worsliip  erected.  Ephraim  Wlieaton 
who  had  been  his  colleague,  became  his  successor.  He  was 
a  man  of  respectable  property,  of  influence  and  of  power, 
and  successful  in  the  ministry,  adding  to  the  church  by  bap- 
tism about  one  hundred  persons  in  seventeen  years. 

Next  come  Samuel  Maxwell  and  Jabez  Wood,  followed 
by  Charles  Thompson,  probably  the  most  distinguished  man 
in  the  long  line  of  Mr.  Myles' s  successors.  He  was  valedic- 
torian of  the  first  class  graduated  at  Brown  University,  a 
chaplain  in  the  American  Army,  and  pastor  in  Warren. 
When  his  church  and  parsonage  in  that  place  were  burned 
by  the  British  soldiers  in  1778,  he  was  taken  prisoner  and 
confined  a  month  in  Newport.  His  people  sought  and  were 
welcomed  to  temporary  membership  in  the  Swansea  church, 
of  which  he  shortly  became  pastor.  During  his  twenty-two 
year's  pastorate  one  hundred  and  seventy-six  were  baptized 
into  the  fellowship  of  the  church.     He  was  a  scholarly  man, 

*  See  Appendix  No.  2. 


The  old  meeting  house  at  North  Swansea,  erected  in  1717  and 

taken  down  in  1845,  it  being  the  house  of  worship  of  tlie 

first  Baptist  church  organized  hi  Massachusetts. 


TOWN  HALL,  SWANSEA.  33 

a  schoolmaster  for  many  years,  a  man  of  great  pulpit  power, 
of  commanding  voice,  fine  figure,  expressive  features,  tender 
sympathies,  plain  and  forcible  in  speech,  exalting  the  great 
truths  of  the  evangelical  system,  and  using  them  effectively 
as  the  weapons  of  his  spiritual  warfare,  often  a  preacher  on 
public  occasions,  and  considered  a  leader  in  the  denomina- 
tion whose  ministry  he  adorned. 

Under  some  of  the  leaders  who  followed,  the  church  for 
a  while  lost  the  fellowship  of  the  adjacent  churches  of  its 
order,  but  recovered  it  under  the  ministry  of  Rev.  Abiel 
Fisher  who  served  it  faithfully  from  1836  to  1846.  More 
brief  pastorates  have  brought  the  church  down  to  the  present 
time,  and  it  still  stands  for  the  faith  once  delivered  to  the 
saints,  in  its  two  hundred  and  twenty-eighth  year.  Long  may 
it  continue  a  light  to  lead  the  community  in  ways  of  truth 
and  righteousness. 

"  THE  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST  IN  SWANSEA." 

The  distance  of  the  church  after  its  removal  to  the  lower 
end  of  New  Meadow  Neck,  caused  the  residents  of  the  cen- 
tral portion  of  Swansea  to  establish  religious  services  near 
Luther's  Corner,  as  early  as  1680,  four  years  after  the  death 
of  Philip.  Organization  was  effected  and  a  pastor  ordained 
in  1693.  If  this  be  counted  a  Baptist  Church  it  was  the 
thirteenth  in  America.  Its  record  book  styles  it  a  "  Church 
of  Christ  in  Swansea."  No  doctrinal  tests,  but  only  evidence 
of  Christian  character,  were  required  for  admission.  Thomas 
Barnes,  one  of  the  original  proprietors  of  the  town,  was 
chosen  and  ordained  pastor  at  the  time  of  organization,  his 
death  closing  a  successful  ministry  of  thirteen  years.  His 
successor,  Joseph  Mason,  was  a  son  of  Samson  Mason,  who 
was  a  soldier  of  Oliver  Cromwell,  and  who  on  coming  to 
America  settled  in  Rehoboth.  Another  of  his  sons  was  the 
first  deacon  of  the  church.     John  Pierce  became  colleague 


84  DEDICATION   OF  THE 

of  Joseph  Mason  in  1715.  These  two  men  "  continued  in 
good  esteem  in  their  offices  until  the  death  of  Elder  Mason  in 
1748  and  of  Elder  Pierce  in  1750,  being  each  of  them  near 
ninety  years  old." 

Ten  years  before  the  death  of  Elder  Mason,  upon  the 
request  of  the  two  pastors  for  a  colleague,  his  nephew.  Job 
Mason,  was  appointed.  He  proved  a  judicious  pastor  and 
an  able  preacher,  so  that,  in  later  years,  the  era  of  his  pastor- 
ate was  regarded  as  the  golden  age  of  the  church.  His 
brother  Russell  became  his  associate  in  1752  and  his  success- 
or in  1775,  ministering  to  this  people  forty-seven  years  and 
dying  just  before  the  dawn  of  this  century.  A  cousin  of 
these  two,  Benjamin  Mason,  became  the  colleague  and  the 
successor  of  Elder  Russell,  his  labors  continuing  to  his  death 
in  1813. 

Thus,  for  one  hundred  and  seven  consecutive  years,  the 
pastoral  office  in  this  church  was  filled  by  a  son  or  a  grand- 
son of  Samson  Mason.  With  the  latest  of  the  line,  Philip 
Slade,  Jr.,  was  associated  in  1801,  whom  he  succeeded  in 
1813,  being  dismissed  in  1820.  He  was  succeeded  by  Ben- 
jamin Taylor,  who  spent  ten  useful  and  successful  years  in 
the  ministry  here,  being  held  in  honor  throughout  the  region. 
Want  of  time  forbids  even  the  merest  mention  of  his  suc- 
cessors. Two  years  hence  this  church  will  pass  the  two  hun- 
dredth anniversary  of  its  organization.  It  is,  perhaps,  the 
oldest  church  in  the  Commonwealth  which  has  never  had  any 
legal  connection  with  a  town. 

Some  of  the  older  members  of  the  Second  Church,  not 
satisfied  with  the  dismission  of  Elder  Philip  Slade,  left  the 
church  and  held  services  under  his  conduct  at  the  house  of 
Deacon  EUery  Wood,  about  a  mile  north  of  Luther's  Corner. 
They  were  organized  as  a  church  by  the  Six  Principle  Bap- 
tists. Deacon  Wood  bequeathed  his  homestead  for  the 
maintenance  of  worship  and  it  became  the  home  of  Elder 


TOWN   HALL,    SWANSEA.  35 

Comstock,  (the  only  pastor  after  Elder  Slade,)  and  the  house 
of  worship  as  well.  The  proceeds  of  the  property  which  has 
been  sold,  are  now  held  in  trust  for  the  benefit  of  the  denom- 
ination. 

THE   REVOLUTIONARY   WAR. 

Her  contributions  for  the  support  of  the  war  for  national 
independence  constitute  an  important  and  honorable  chapter 
in  the  history  of  Swansea. 

At  a  meeting  held  Sept.  26th,  1774,  the  town  chose  Col. 
Andrew  Cole,  Capt.  Levi  Wheaton,  Capt.  Philip  Slade, 
Richard  Cornell  and  Capt.  Luther  Thurber  a  committee  to 
meet  with  the  delegates  from  the  other  towns  of  the  county, 
in  Taunton  '*  then  and  there  to  deliberate  and  devise  meas- 
ures sutabel  to  the  exigency  of  the  times." 

A  Hampshire  county  convention  had  just  been  held  "  to 
consult  upon  measures  to  be  taken  in  this  time  of  general 
distress  in  the  province,  occasioned  by  the  late  attack  of  the 
British  Ministry  upon  the  constitution  of  said  province." 
That  attack  had  come  in  the  shape  of  an  act  of  Parliament 
"  For  the  Better  Regulating  of  the  Province  of  Massachu- 
setts Bay."  The  principle  of  this  act,  Bancroft  says,  "  was 
the  concentration  of  all  executive  power,  including  the  courts 
of  justice,  in  the  hands  of  the  royal  governor.  Without  a 
previous  notice  to  Massachusetts,  and  without  a  hearing,  it 
took  away  rights  and  liberties  which  the  people  had  enjoyed 
from  the  foundation  of  the  colony"  with  scarcely  an  excep- 
tion. It  superseded  a  charter,  "  which  had  been  the  organic 
law  of  the  people  of  Massachusetts  for  more  than  eighty 
years."  It  provided  that  the  Governor's  Council  should  be 
appointed  by  the  King,  rather  than  chosen  by  the  representa- 
tives of  the  people.  The  Governor  appointed  by  the  Crown, 
without  even  consulting  his  council,  might  appoint  and  re- 
move all  judges  and  court  officers.  The  selection  of  jurors 
was  taken  from  the  freeholders  and  given  to  the  sheriffs,  who 


36  DEDICATION   OF   THE 

were  appointees  of  the  Governor.  Worse  than  all,  the  regu- 
lating act  sought  to  throttle  the  town  meeting,  that  dearest 
of  all  institutions  to  New  England,  whose  people,  as  Ban- 
croft so  well  puts  it,  "  had  been  accustomed,  in  their  town 
meetings,  to  transact  all  business  that  touched  them  most 
nearly,  as  fathers,  as  freemen,  and  as  Christians.  There 
they  adopted  local  taxes  to  keep  their  free  schools ;  there 
they  regulated  the  municipal  concerns  of  the  year  :  there 
they  chose  their  representatives  and  instructed  them :  and 
there  most  of  them  took  measures  for  the  settlement  of  min- 
isters of  the  gospel  in  their  congregations  :  there  they  were 
accustomed  to  express  their  sentiments  upon  any  subject 
connected  with  their  interests,  rights,  liberties,  and  religion." 

The  new  act  allowed  only  two  town  meetings  annually, 
in  which  town  officers  and  representatives  might  be  chosen, 
but  no  other  matters  introduced.  Every  other  assembly  of 
a  town  was  forbidden,  except  only  upon  written  leave  of  the 
Governor,  and  then  only  for  business  expressed  in  that 
leave.  Thus  the  King  trampled  under  foot  the  customs, 
laws,  and  privileges  of  the  people  of  Massachusetts. 

This  act  went  immediately  into  effect,  and  at  once 
forced  a  choice  between  resistance  and  submission. 

In  this  juncture,  the  Committee  of  Boston  sent  a  circu- 
lar letter  to  all  the  towns  in  the  province,  in  which  they 
said  :  '*  Though  surrounded  by  a  large  body  of  armed  men, 
who,  having  the  sword,  have  also  our  blood  in  their  hands, 
we  are  yet  undaunted.  To  you,  our  brethren,  and  dear 
companions  in  the  cause  of  God,  we  apply.  To  you  we  look 
for  that  advice  and  example  which  with  the  blessing  of  God 
shall  save  us  from  destruction."  This  urgent  message 
roused  the  State :  William  Prescott  of  Pepperell,  who  in 
less  than  a  year  was  to  stand  at  the  head  of  a  band  of 
American  soldiers  to  dispute  with  the  British  regulars  the  pos- 
session of  the  Bunker  Hill  redoubt,  expressed  the  mind  of 


TOWN    HALL,    SWANSEA.  37 

the  State,  when  he  wrote  for  his  neighbors,  "  We  think,  if 
we  submit  to  these  regulations,  all  is  gone.  Let  us  all  be 
of  one  heart  and  stand  fast  in  the  liberties  wherewith  Christ 
has  made  us  free."  Everywhere  the  people  were  weighing 
the  issue  in  which  they  were  involved,  and  one  spirit  ani- 
mated the  country. 

This  was  the  situation  in  view  of  which  Swansea  sent 
Col.  Andrew  Cole  and  his  associates  "  to  deliberate  and  de- 
vise measures  sutabel  to  the  exigency  of  the  times."  And 
this  was  why  in  a  town  meeting  which  the  new  regulating 
act  interdicted  but  which  was  nevertheless  held,  Swansea 
chose  Colonel  Andrew  Cole,  Col.  Jerathmiel  Bowers  and 
Capt.  Levi  Wheaton  as  ''  a  committee  for  said  town  to  meet 
with  other  committees  of  the  several  towns  in  the  province, 
at  Concord  to  act  on  measures  agreeable  to  the  times."  This 
was  why  later,  they  chose  a  Committee  of  Inspection  to  ex- 
ecute the  wishes  of  the  Continental  Congress. 

Thus  by  their  votes  in  town  meeting.  New  England 
everywhere  bade  defiance  to  Great  Britain.  In  this  town 
twelve  of  these  meetings  were  held  in  one  year. 

Committees  of  Inspection,  Correspondence  and  Safety 
were  appointed  by  all  the  towns,  composed  of  their  leading- 
men.  Through  them  the  authorities  reached  the  people  at 
large,  and  secured  the  execution  of  their  plans. 

The  events  of  the  fateful  morning  of  April  19,  1775, 
are  known  to  all.  The  six  companies  of  Rehoboth  are  all 
on  record  as  responding  to  the  Lexington  alarm.  It  is  not 
likely  that  the  three  Swansea  companies,  which  with  those 
of  Rehoboth  constituted  the  first  Bristol  regiment,  failed  to 
respond  to  the  call,  though  no  record  of  such  resjDonse  has 
come  to  my  knowledge.  The  town,  two  days  later,  ordered 
the  Selectmen  to  provide  40  "  gons"  250  lbs.  of  powder,  700 
lbs.  of  lead  and  600  flints,  and  directed  "  that  fifty  men  be 
enlisted  to  be  ready  at  a  minute's  warning."     May  22nd  a 


88  DEDICATION   OF   THE 

Committee  of  Inspection  was  appointed,  and  it  was  voted 
"  that  the  town  will  secure  and  defend  said  committee  and 
empower  them  to  follow  and  observe  such  directions  as 
they  shall  receive  from  time  to  time  from  the  Provincial 
Congress  or  Committee  of  Safety."  At  this  time  five  shill- 
ings penalty  was  imposed  for  wasting  a  charge  of  powder, 
and  the  offender's  stock  of  ammunition  was  forfeited. 

In  order  to  ascertain  Swansea's  response  to  the  call  for 
troops  the  muster  rolls  of  the  Revolution  have  been  examined 
and  a  book  has  been  placed  in  the  library  into  which  such 
parts  of  them  as  relate  to  Swansea  have  been  transcribed. 
An  indexed  alphabetical  list  has  been  prepared  which  shows 
that  not  less  that  four  hundred  and  sixteen  Swansea  men 
bore  arms  in  the  War  for  Independence,  many  of  them  how- 
ever, only  for  brief  periods  along  our  own  shores.  On  this 
list  the  surnames  which  occur  oftenest  are  Peck,  Martin, 
Anthony  and  Bovvers,  which  each  have  seven  representatives, 
Kingsley  nine.  Wood  and  Pierce  each  eleven.  Cole  and 
Barney  each  twelve.  Mason  eighteen.  Chase  nineteen,  while 
Luther  leads  all  the  rest  with  a  record  of  twenty-seven. 

From  such  rolls  as  are  extant  the  following  facts  are 
gathered  :  Seven  Swansea  men  served  at  least  five  months 
of  1775  in  Col.  David  Brewer's  regiment  near  Boston,  as 
did  a  few  in  other  regiments  doing  duty  there.  Probably 
many  more  did  actually  serve  that  year.  The  alarms  of  war 
were  brought  close  home  to  this  section.  From  the  time 
when  the  British  took  possession  of  the  island  called 
Rhode  Island  in  December,  1776,  till  they  abandoned  it  two 
years  later,  the  militia  were  often  called  into  service.  Troops 
were  repeatedly  called  to  Slade's  Ferry,  Howland's  Ferry, 
(now  the  Stone  Bridge  in  Tiverton)  to  Bristol,  to  Warwick 
Neck,  (a  part  of  which  is  now  known  as  Rocky  Point)  and 
even  to  the  Island  itself. 

In  May  1779,  it  was  "  voted  that  there  be  a  guard  on 


TOWN   HALL,   SWANSEA.  39 

each  of  the  necks  for  safety  of  the  good  people  of  the  town." 
Later  in  1779  "  voted  22  men  to  guard  the  shores."  Eight 
Swansea  men  served  in  the  artillery  company  of  Capt.  Fales 
of  Taunton,  at  Blade's  Ferry  in  December,  1776. 

Of  three  militia  captains  of  this  town  Peleg  Sherman, 
afterwards  Colonel,  was  a  leading  factor  in  the  conduct  of 
Swansea's  relation  to  the  great  struggle.  He  was  often 
moderator  of  town  meetings  and  at  the  head  of  important 
committees  on  military  affairs.  He  was  in  active  service 
along  our  shore  during  the  British  occupation  of  Rhode 
Island,  e.  g.  at  Slade's  Ferry  from  January  6  to  June  5, 
1777,  and  at  Bristol  later  in  the  same  year.  He  also  served 
the  government  as  commissary  for  the  supply  of  stores  to 
the  troops.  His  home,  where  at  one  time  troops  were  quar- 
tered, was  at  Shewamet  Neck,  at  what  is  now  known  as  the 
the  Henry  H.  Mason  place,  where  he  died  Nov.  2(3,  1811, 
aged  sixty-four. 

Philip  Slade,  another  of  the  militia  captains,  was  also- 
often  on  important  committees.  He  was  selected  to  wait 
upon  General  Sullivan,  "  to  represent  to  him  the  fenceless 
condition  of  the  town,  and  pray  him  to  be  pleased  to  order  a 
gard  for  us  against  our  enemies  on  Khode  Island."  He 
was  on  July  5th,  1779,  appointed  one  of  the  committee  "to 
confer  with  General  Gates  at  Providence  upon  some  meas- 
ures for  the  safety  of  the  town,"  and  at  the  same  meeting 
he  and  John  Mason  "  were  chosen  deligates  to  represent  the 
town  at  Cambridge  in  forming  a  new  constitution." 

The  same  thing  can  be  said  in  perhaps  less  degree  of 
the  third  Captain  Peleg  Peck,  whose  company  served  fre- 
quently along  our  shores,  as  for  instance,  at  Bristol,  in 
December  1776,  on  a  secret  expedition  to  Tiverton,  where 
it  was  stationed  from  Sept.  29th,  to  Oct.  30th,  1777,  at 
Warwick,  R.  I.,  from  January  to  April  1778,  and  later  in 
the  same  year,  on  Rhode  Island  about  six  weeks. 


40  DEDICATION   OF  THE 

A  pay  roll  for  the  Continental  pay  of  Capt.  Peck's 
company  who  were  called  out  by  an  alarm  to  Tiverton, 
states  that  "  by  order  of  Col.  Peleg  Slead  all  the  men  in 
Swansea  were  joined  in  one  company  under  Capt.  Peck," 
to  respond  to  an  alarm  at  Tiverton.  The  roll  bears  one 
hundred  and  seventy-eight  names,  and  shows  that  the  men 
served  from  four  to  nine  days.  In  the  expedition  of  Gen. 
Sullivan  on  Rhode  Island,  Col.  Carpenter's  regiment  of 
Rehoboth  and  Swansea  men  distinguished  themselves  for 
their  bravery,  Benjamin  Smith  of  Swansea  being  wounded 
by  a  bursting  shell. 

Another  of  the  local  leaders  in  this  struggle  was  Col. 
Peleg  Slead,  one  of  the  largest  land  owners  of  the  town,  who 
was  called  to  fill  many  important  offices  of  town  and  State, 
and  who  proved  himself  an  ardent  friend  of  his  country's 
cause.  He  died  Dec.  28,  1813,  at  the  age  of  eighty-four, 
and  is  buried  in  the  cemetery  on  his  homestead  farm,  not 
far  from  this  village. 

On  a  muster  roll  dated  Sept.  16th,  1777,  eight  Swansea 
men  are  returned  as  enlisted  for  the  present  war  in  Col. 
Henry  Jackson's  regiment,  which  was  probably  in  service 
on  the  Hudson.  On  the  19th  of  June,  1778,  ten  men  were 
drafted  for  nine  months  from  their  arrival  at  Fishkill,  and 
about  the  same  time  three  for  nine  months  from  their  ar- 
rival at  Springfield. 

April  10th,  1778,  the  General  Court  having  ordered 
2,000  men  to  be  raised  to  recruit  the  State's  fifteen  battalions 
of  Continental  troops  for  service  either  in  Rhode  Island  or 
on  the  Hudson,  twenty-six  Swansea  men  were  sent  to  Col. 
William  Lee's  regiment.  In  1779,  twelve  Swansea  men 
were  in  Continental  regiments  on  duty  in  Rhode  Island. 
During  this  year  one-seventh  part  of  the  male  population 
was  ordered  under  arms  in  the  national  service.  Swansea 
was  behind  on  its  quota  only  three  men,  few  towns  showing 


TOWN  HALL,  SWANSEA.  41 

a  better  record.     1780  and  1781  saw  other  men  in  small 
numbers  enlisted  for  three  years  or  the  war. 

Thus,  with  constant  drafts  for  men  and  money,  the 
war  wore  on  to  its  triumphant  close  in  1783,  when  the 
people  had  the  joy  of  knowing  that  the  last  British  soldier 
had  left  our  shores,  and  that  through  great  sacrifice  in  blood 
and  treasure  Independence  was  secured. 

SHIP   BUILDING. 

One  of  the  earlier  industries  of  the  colonies  was  that  of 
ship  building. 

For  several  years  the  immigration  of  shipwrights  was 
encouraged,  and  special  privileges  were  given  them,  such  as 
exemption  from  the  duty  of  training,  and  from  the  taxation 
of  property  actually  used  by  them  in  their  business.  These 
inducements  brought  hither  a  number  of  good  carpenters. 
In  1694  a  sloop  of  forty  tons  burden  was  built  in  Swansea, 
and  in  1697  a  ship  of  seventy-eight  tons.  In  the  early  part 
of  the  last  century,  Samuel  Lee  came  to  this  country  in  the 
interest  of  English  people,  to  look  after  timber  land.  He 
settled  on  Shewamet  Neck  and  built  a  house  near  the  resi- 
dence of  Mr.  Levi  Slade,  establishing  a  shipyard  at  the  land- 
ing, where  for  several  years  he  carried  on  a  large  industry. 
In  1707  a  ship  of  120  tons, — a  large  craft  for  those  times — 
was  launched.  In  1708  a  brigantine  of  fifty  tons  and  a  ship 
of  one  hundred  and  seventy  tons,  in  1709  two  brigan tines  of 
fifty -five  tons  each,  and  in  1712  a  sloop  of  eighty  tons  were 
built  in  Swansea.  The  river  upon  which  Mr.  Lee  located 
his  yard  soon  after  his  advent  took  and  has  since  retained 
his  name,  Lee's  River. 

Vessels  have  been  built  near  the  residence  of  Mr.  Wil- 
liam H.  Pearce,  on  Cole's  river. 

Prior  to  1801,  when  he  moved  to  New  York,  Jonathan 
Barney  built  several  small  vessels  on  Palmer's  river.     In 


42  DEDICATION  OF  THE 

1802  his  son,  Mason  Barney,  being  then  less  than  twenty 
years  of  age,  contracted  to  build  a  ship.  Although  young 
Barney  was  acquainted  with  the  nature  of  ship  building, 
through  his  father  carrying  it  on,  he  himself  did  not  know 
the  use  of  tools.  His  courage  and  self  reliance  in  taking 
such  a  contract,  when  so  young  and  inexperienced,  fore- 
shadowed the  character  of  the  future  man.  By  his  zeal,  en- 
thusiasm and  determined  will  he  overcame  the  great  difficul- 
ties which  to  most  men  would  have  been  insurmountable. 
From  this  beginning  sprung  up  the  ship  building  business 
at  Barneyville,  and  Mr.  Barney's  subsequent  great  promin- 
ence in  business  circles.  He  sometimes  employed  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty  men,  annually  disbursing  large  sums  of  money. 
The  sails  of  the  good  substantial  vessels,  which  in  the  course 
of  a  half  a  century  he  built,  whitened  almost  every  sea. 

During  his  business  career  he  built  one  hundred  and 
forty-nine  vessels,  from  the  small  fishing  smack  to  the  ship 
of  1,060  tons,  the  largest  vessel  that  had  then  been  launched 
in  this  section  of  New  England. 

It  has  been  publicly  stated,  without  denial,. that  Mr. 
Barney  built  more  vessels  than  any  other  man  in  this  coun- 
try had  then  built. 

The  financial  crisis  of  1857  found  him  with  two  large 
ships  upon  his  hands,  with  no  market.  In  them  he  had  invest- 
ed a  large  part  of  his  fortune,  which  was  thus  entirely  dissi- 
pated, and  he  was  compelled  to  give  up  business.  With  him 
passed  away  the  ship  building  interest  of  Swansea. 

Mr.  Barney  died  on  the  first  day  of  April,  1869.  The 
house  in  which  he  was  born  in  1782  is  still  standing,  and 
dates  from  old  colonial  times. 

He  was  a  fine  specimen  of  an  earnest,  enthusiastic  and 
persevering  man.  He  was  unaffected,  original  in  his  charac- 
ter, simple  in  his  tastes  and  habits,  always  genial  and  hospit- 
able. In  his  death  the  community  lost  an  enterprising, 
honest  and  eminent  citizen. 


TOWN   HALL,    SWANSEA.  *        43 

OTHER   MANUFACTURES. 

Richard  Chase  began  the  manufacture  of  shoes  here  in 
1796,  and  pursued  the  business  for  nearly  fifty  years,  em- 
ploying more  people  than  any  other  man  in  town  except  Mr. 
Barney. 

Other  industries  have  been  pursued  in  a  small  way, 
such  as  the  making  of  paper  and  the  manufacture  of  cotton, 
which  last  industry  was  commenced  at  Swansea  Factory  in 
the  year  1806  by  Oliver  Chace,  and  it  was  also  carried  on 
at  a  small  mill  at  what  is  now  Swansea  Dye  Works ;  cotton 
was  carded  and  spun,  and  the  yarn  sent  out  to  be  woven  into 
cloth  by  farmers'  wives  and  daughters,  as  was  the  case  in  all 
cotton  manufactories  in  those  days. 

All  these  early  industries,  with  others  of  which  I  cannot 
now  speak,  have  passed  away. 

POST-OFFICES. 

The  first  post-office  in  Swansea  was  established  on  the 
first  day  of  July,  1800.  Mr.  Reuben  Chace  was  appointed 
post-master.  He  opened  an  office  at  his  dwelling-house,  for 
many  years  known  as  "  The  Buttonwood,"  some  three 
quarters  of  a  mile  west  of  Swansea  village. 

On  the  17th  day  of  June,  1814,  Mr.  John  Mason  was 
appointed  post-master,  and  he  removed  the  office  to  the 
village,  where  it  has  since  been  located.  Mr.  Mason  con- 
tinued in  office  until  the  12th  day  of  June,  1849,  when  Mr. 
John  A.  Wood  was  appointed  post-master,  who  retained  the 
office  until  the  sixth  day  of  June,  1853,  when  Mr.  John 
Mason  was  again  appointed,  and  who  remained  in  office  until 
the  23d  day  of  March,  1864,  when  Mr.  John  A.  Wood  was 
reinstated  as  post-master.  Mr.  Wood  held  the  office  until 
the  18th  day  of  June,  1867,  when  his  son,  Mr.  Henry  O. 
Wood,  was  appointed  his  successor.  Mr.  Henry  O.  Wood 
served  as  post-master  for  twenty  years,  having  resigned  on 


44  DEDICATION   OF   THE 

the  24th  day  of  May,  1887,  when  Mr.  Lewis  S.  Gray,  the 
present  post-master  was  appointed. 

A  post-office  designated  "  Barney  ville  "  was  established 
at  North  Swansea,  and  Mr.  Mason  Barney  appointed  the 
first  post-master  on  the  20th  day  of  February,  1830.  The 
name  of  this  office  was  subsequently  changed  to  North  Swan- 
sea. Mr.  Barney  was  superseded  as  post-master  by  Mr. 
Alvan  Cole  on  the  28th  day  of  June,  1836.  Mr.  Cole  re- 
tained the  office  until  the  28th  day  of  February,  1838,  when 
Capt.  James  Cornell  was  appointed  post-master,  and  remained 
in  office  until  the  24th  day  of  June,  1841,  when  Mr.  Mason 
Barney  was  reappointed  as  post-master.  Mr.  Barney,  Sr.,  was 
followed  in  office  by  his  son,  Mr.  Mason  Barney,  Jr  ,  on  the 
15th  day  of  April,  1867,  who  continued  post-master  until 
he  was  succeeded  on  the  12th  day  of  February,  1872,  by  the 
present  post-master,  Mr.  William  P.  Mason. 

The  post-office  at  Swansea  Center  was  established  on 
the  29th  day  of  December,  1888,  when  Mr.  Seth  W.  Eddy 
was  appointed  post-master,  and  now  holds  that  office. 

The  post-office  at  Hortonville  was  established  and  Mr. 
L.  L.  Cummings,  the  present  post-master,  was  appointed  to 
that  office  on  the  19th  day  of  January,  1885. 

On  the  24th  day  of  October  1890,  a  post-office, "  South 
Swansea,"  was  established  on  Gardner's  Neck  at  the  station 
of  the  Old  Colony  Railroad  Company.  Mr.  Frank  J.  Arnold 
was  appointed  post-master,  and  began  the  business  of  the 
office  on  the  20th  day  of  November,  1890.  He  is  the  present 
post-master. 

THE   POPULATION    OF   SWANSEA. 

The  population  of  Swansea  from  the  time  of  the  first 
State  census  in  1765  has  never  varied  greatly.  The  total 
at  that  time  was  1,840  which  has  never  been  exceeded  save  in 
1820,  when  it  reached  1,933.     The  lowest  point  was  touched 


TOWN    HALL,    SWANSEA.  45 

in  1870,  when  it  fell  to  1,294.  Since  that  date  it  has  been 
slowly  but  steadily  rising.     In  1890  the  number  was  1,456. 

The  stationary  character  of  Swansea's  population  is  due 
largely  to  the  fact  that  its  chief  industry  is  agricultural.  At 
the  hist  census,  though  it  ranked  as  low  as  the  two  hundred  and 
eleventh  town  in  the  State  in  population,  it  stood  thirty-sixth 
in  value  of  agricultural  products. 

The  fixed  tenure  of  many  of  its  farms  is  worthy  of  note. 
Some  of  them  are  still  owned  and  occupied  by  the  lineal 
descendants  of  the  first  proprietors,  having  descended  from 
father  and  son  to  the  sixth  and  seventh  generation.  The 
Masons,  the  Browns,  the  Woods,  the  Gardners  and  other 
families  are  now  living  on  their  ancestral  acres. 

Though  the  industry  of  Swansea  has  been  largely  agri- 
cultural, its  citizens  have  had  no  unimportant  agency  in  the 
development  of  the  cotton  manufacture  in  Fall  Kiver. 
When  that  industry  was  there  begun,  a  very  considerable 
portion  of  the  money  invested  came  from  the  country  towns. 

The  Fall  River  Manvifactory,  the  first  cotton  mill  erected 
there,  was  built  in  1813.  Its  capital  was  divided  into  sixty 
shares,  of  which  William  Mason  and  Samuel  Gardner,  2d,  of 
Swansea,  took  two  each.  Mr.  Mason  soon  added  to  his 
holdings,  so  that  one  twelfth  part  of  the  stock  was  held  in 
this  town,  and  at  a  subsequent  date  a  still  larger  percentage. 

The  Troy  Cotton  and  Woolen  Manufacturing  Company 
was  organized  a  little  later,  the  originator  of  which  was 
Oliver  Chace,  who  had  had  some  experience  in  a  small  way 
in  the  manufacture  of  cotton  at  Swansea  Factory,  and  who 
moved  to  Fall  River  where  he  could  embark  on  a  more  ex- 
tensive scale.  He  took  one  tenth  part  of  the  stock  in  the 
new  company,  while  an  equal  amount  was  taken  here  by 
Benjamin  Slade,  Moses  Buffinton,  Oliver  Earle,  Joseph 
G.  Luther  and  Joseph  Buffinton,  making  one  fifth  of  its 
entire  capital. 


46  DEDICATION   OF   THE 

Thus  Swansea  men  and  Swansea  money  essentially 
aided  in  the  early  development  of  cotton  manufacture. 

Many  of  Swansea's  young  men  have  become  the  skilled 
mechanics,  artisans  and  contractors  who  have  been  important 
factors  in  the  growth  and  development  of  the  cities  of 
Taunton,  Providence,  New  Bedford  and  Fall  River.  Some 
of  the  prominent  business  men  of  these  cities  originated  here. 
Fall  River's  first  mayor,  the  Hon.  James  Buffinton,  who  so 
long  and  ably  represented  this  district  in  Congress,  spent 
years  of  his  boyhood  in  this  village.  Another  mayor  of 
that  city,  the  Hon.  Samuel  M.  Brown,  was  born  and  reared 
in  Swansea  ;  also  the  Hon.  Caleb  Earle,  who  was  Lieutenant 
Governor  of  Rhode  Island  from  1821  to  1824,  and  Col. 
John  Albert  Munroe,  recently  deceased,  who  fiUed  a  marked 
place  in  the  military  and  professional  history  of  Rhode  Island. 

REPRESENTATION  IN  THE  GENERAL  COURT. 

The  first  representation  of  Swansea  in  the  General 
Court  was  in  1670,  when  John  Allen  was  sent  to  represent 
it  at  Plymouth. 

Of  the  long  line  of  men  who,  in  the  last  two  hundred 
and  twenty  years,  have  represented  the  town  in  the  General 
Court,  Col.  Jerathmiel  Bowers  had  the  longest  term  of  ser- 
vice, in  all  nineteen  years.  Next  to  him  in  length  of  service 
comes  Daniel  Haile,  with  fourteen  terms  ;  Ephraim  Pierce, 
with  twelve ;  Christopher  Mason,  with  eight ;  Hugh  Cole, 
with  seven  ;  Ezekiel  Brown,  with  six,  and  Joseph  Mason, 
Jr.,  with  five. 

Several  of  its  citizens  have  been  honored  with  a  seat 
in  the  State  Senate. 

Hon.  John  Mason,  a  life-long  resident  of  Swansea  vil- 
lage, was  colleague  in  the  Constitutional  Convention  of  1820 
with  Daniel  Haile,  who  had  then  had  a  dozen  terms  in  the 
House.     That  year  Mr.  Haile  was  defeated  by  Dr.  John 


TOWN  HALL,  SWANSEA.  47 

Winslow,  who  was  a  Federalist  in  politics.  In  1821,  John 
Mason  was  brought  forward  by  the  Democrats  as  the  only 
man  who  could  defeat  Dr.  Winslow.  The  two  men  were 
next  door  neighbors,  and  with  their  families  were  on  most 
intimate  terms.  Mr.  Mason  won  by  six  votes.  In  the  fol- 
lowing year  he  was  elected  to  the  House,  in  which  he  served 
two  terms,  after  which  he  was  four  in  the  Senate  and  four  in 
the  council  of  Gov.  Levi  Lincoln.  Later  he  was  four  years 
a  county  commissioner,  and  was  town  clerk  fifty  of  the  years 
between  1808  and  1865,  and  postmaster  forty-six  of  the  years 
between  1814  and  1864. 

At  the  November  election  in  1850,  three  senators  were 
elected  for  Bristol  County,  one  of  them  being  Hon.  Geo.  Aus- 
tin of  Swansea.  Soon  after  the  General  Court  convened 
in  1851,  Mr.  Taber  of  New  Bedford,  resigned  his  seat 
and  the  two  branches  of  the  Legislature,  as  then  required 
by  the  constitution,  met  in  convention  to  choose  a  person  to 
fill  the  vacancy  from  the  two  defeated  candidates  who  receiv- 
ed the  highest  number  of  votes  at  the  autumnal  election. 
The  choice  fell  upon  Hon.  John  Earle  of  this  town,  and  thus 
Swansea  had  two  senators,  Messrs.  Austin  and  Earle,  for  the 
remainder  of  the  session,  an  unprecedented  honor.  Mr. 
Austin  was  a  member  of  the  Constitutional  Convention  of 
1852. 

The  Hon.  Frank  Shaw  Stevens,  whose  name  appears 
upon  the  tablet  on  the  outer  walls  of  this  building,  was  sen- 
ator from  this  district  in  1884.  He  modestly  declined  a  re- 
election, which  would  have  been  triumphantly  accorded  him. 

PHYSICIANS. 

As  the  Masons  have  been  prominent  among  those  who 
have  ministered  to  the  souls  of  Swansea  people,  so  the  Win- 
slows  were  ministers  to  their  bodily  health  for  three  quarters 
of  a  century,  from  1765,  when  Dr.  Ebenezer  Winslow  lo- 


48  DEDICATION   OF  THE 

cated  here.  He  became  one  of  the  most  widely  known 
physicians  in  Southern  Massachusetts.  He  died  in  1830, 
in  his  ninetieth  year.  His  son,  Dr.  John  Winslow,  rivalled 
even  his  eminent  father  in  the  successful  practice  of  medi- 
cine, to  which  he  devoted  his  entire  life,  dying  in  1838. 
Though  their  patients  were  widely  scattered,  yet  these 
physicians  never  drove  in  a  wheeled  vehicle,  always  trav- 
elling on  horseback,  carrying  their  medicines  in  saddle-bags, 
the  custom  of  those  days.  Dr.  John  W.  Winslow,  son  of 
Dr.  John  Winslow,  early  became  well  and  favorably  known 
as  "  young  Dr.  Winslow,"  and  gave  promise  of  eminence  in 
his  profession.  But  he  died  at  the  early  age  of  thirty-two 
in  1836.  For  several  years  these  three  generations  of  phy- 
sicians were  here  together  in  the  practice  of  their  profession. 
Dr.  A.  T.  Brown  began  here,  in  1836,  a  successful  prac- 
tice of  sixteen  years  duration. 

For  nearly  half  a  century  Dr.  James  Lloyd  Wellington, 
a  Harvard  classmate  of  Gen.  Charles  Devens,  James  Russell 
Lowell,  the  sculptor  William  W.  Story,  William  J.  Rotch 
and  George  B.  Loring,  has  been  the  highly  esteemed  phy- 
sician of  this  place.  By  his  self-sacrificing  devotion  to  the 
noble  but  exacting  profession  he  adorns,  he  has  won,  what 
is  far  better  than  wealth,  the  gratitude  of  the  whole  commu- 
nity which  he  has  served  so  skilfully  and  successfully. 
Long  may  he  continue  to  be  to  this  people,  what  he  has 
already  been  to  two  generations,  the  trusted  friend,  the  wise 
counselor,  and  the  good  physician. 

LAWYERS. 

Several  lawyers,  previous  to  the  year  1832,  lived  and 
practiced  their  professions  here,  among  whom  were  the 
Hon.  Pliny  Merrick,  for  eleven  years  an  Associate  Justice 
of  the  Supreme  Judicial  Court  of  the  Commonwealth  ; 
Hezekiah  Battelle  and  Eliab  Williams,  who  moved  to  Fall 


TOWN  HALL,  SWANSEA.  49 

River  and  formed  there  the  law  co-partnership  of  Battelle  & 
Williams,  so  long  and  favorably  known  in  this  section  of 
the  State. 

Among  the  present  leaders  of  the  Bristol  Bar,  Swansea, 
by  one  of  her  sons,  is  represented  in  each  of  the  three  cities 
of  this  county :  Hon.  Edwin  L.  Barney  of  New  Bedford, 
Hon.  James  Brown  of  Taunton,  and  Jonathan  M.  Wood, 
Esq.,  of  Fall  River. 

UNION   MEETING   HOUSE. 

This  structure  in  which  we  are  now  assembled  occupies 
the  site  of  a  Union  meeting  house  which  was  built  by  the 
joint  efforts  of  people  of  several  denominations  resident  here. 
In  the  dedication  which  occurred  Dec.  29th,  1830,  Method- 
ists, Baptists,  Swedenborgians  and  Universalists  partici- 
pated. The  hymns  sung  were  composed  by  Elder  Baker,  a 
Six  Principle  Baptist  clergyman.  Services  were  maintained 
some  years,  but  as  the  building  was  not  owned  by  any  one 
denomination,  timely  and  needed  repairs  were  not  made,  for 
want  of  which  it  became  unfit  for  use  and  was  finally  demol- 
ished. The  site  was  for  a  number  of  years  disused.  Since 
it  seemed  impracticable  for  a  private  title  to  be  acquired,  it 
was  finally  condemned  and  taken  into  possession  by  the 
town,  upon  the  generous  offer  of  Mr.  Stevens  to  erect  for 
the  town's  use  a  public  building  suited  to  the  needs  of  the 
place. 

Thus,  in  the  order  of  occupancy,  upon  this  spot  there 
has  been  reproduced  a  picture  of  early  New  England. 
The  primary  organization  was  the  church,  as  we  have  seen 
in  the  history  of  Swansea ;  after  the  church  the  town  ;  so 
here,  we  have  had  first  the  house  of  religious  worship,  and 
now  the  hall  for  municipal  use  and  the  library. 


50  DEDICATION   OF  THE 

UNI  VERS  ALIST   SOCIETY. 

Some  of  the  prominent  men  of  this  and  adjoining 
towns,  who  had  maintained  occasional  religious  services, 
were  organized  in  1838  as  the  First  Universalist  Society  of 
Swansea . 

The  Rev.  Aaron  L.  Balch,  who  was  a  preacher  to  this 
people  before  the  organization  of  the  society,  died  in  this 
village  Nov.  4,  1837,  and  was  buried  in  the  cemetery.  The 
society  has  not  maintained  regular  services  for  many  years, 
and  the  members  have  to  some  extent  become  connected 
with  other  religious  bodies. 

CHRIST   CHURCH,    SWANSEA. 

In  May,  1845,  Rev.  A.  D.  McCoy,  rector  of  the  Church 
of  the  Ascension  in  Fall  River,  opened  a  Sunday  evening 
service  here  which  he  maintained  till  November,  1847.  A 
church  was  organized  January  7,  1846.  A  Sunday  school 
was  established  and  superintended  by  Dr.  Geo.  W.  Che  vers, 
a  physician  of  Fall  River,  afterward  a  clergyman,  who  dur- 
ing the  greater  part  of  1847  conducted  lay  readings  on 
Sunday,  morning  and  afternoon. 

The  services  were  at  first  held  in  the  Union  meeting 
house.  A  neat  and  attractive  church  edifice  was  shortly 
erected  and  dedicated  December  2, 1847.  The  first  resident 
rector  was  Rev.  John  B.  Richmond,  who  served  the  church 
four  years  from  January  1st,  1848.  The  duration  of  most 
of  the  subsequent  pastorates  has  been  brief,  though  that  of 
Rev.  N.  Watson  Munroe  lasted  eleven  years. 

The  only  survivor  of  those  who  were  active  in  the  or- 
ganization is  the  Rev.  Benjamin  H.  Chace,  who  when  about 
40  years  of  age  gave  up  his  secular  occupation,  and  prepared 
himself  for  the  office  of  the  Christian  ministry,  being  or- 
dained in  1854.     In  the  serene  evening  of  a  long  and  useful 


TOWN   HALL,    SWANSEA.  51 

ministerial  life  he  has  returned  to  this  his  native  village  to 
await  the  call  of  the  Master  to  come  up  higher.  With  the 
work  of  the  church  which  he  and  his  wife  did  so  much  to 
establish,  he  is  in  active  sympathy. 

THE   WAR   FOR   THE   UNION. 

The  war  to  preserve  the  Union,  on  account  of  its  near- 
ness to  our  time,  interests  us  more  deeply  than  does  the  war 
which  made  us  an  independent  nation.  But  in  some  re- 
spects it  called  for  less  endurance  and  sacrifice.  The  clash 
of  arms  and  the  alarms  of  war  did  not  vex  these  hillsides 
and  echo  across  these  bays  as  they  had  done  in  Philip's  and 
the  Revolutionary  wars.  It  was  not  so  long  continued  nor 
financially  so  disastrous  as  was  the  war  for  independence,  in 
which  the  financial  system  of  the  country  went  to  wreck,  and 
its  promises  to  pay  became  worthless,  insomuch  that,  even 
three  years  before  the  war  ended,  this  town  voted  f  140  for 
an  axe,  and  $50  a  day  to  its  selectmen.  Let  us  honor  the 
heroic  endurance  of  the  fathers,  while  we  also  cherish  with 
pride  the  valor  of  their  sons,  our  brothers,  who  responded 
nobly  to  the  call  of  the  nation,  when  threatened  with  dis- 
union. For  it  is  to  be  said  that  in  the  later  struggle  this 
town  did  its  full  duty.  At  the  close  the  town  stood  credited 
with  twelve  more  men  than  the  State  had  required.  It  is 
true  that  some  of  them  were  not  its  own  citizens,  but  hired 
substitutes  ;  but  it  is  also  true  that  from  these  farms  and 
hamlets  enough  perhaps  to  balance  the  hired  contingent  went 
into  Rhode  Island  regiments  and  batteries.  Your  rebellion 
record  contains  the  names  of  one  hundred  and  thirty  soldiers 
who  went  from  or  who  were  hired  by  and  for  this  town. 

Your  sons  were  widely  scattered  among  our  State  or- 
ganizations and  were  in  all  branches  of  the  service.  One  or 
another  of  them  faced  the  nation's  foes  on  most  of  the  battle- 
fields of  the  Atlantic  slope  and  of  the  Gulf.     They  helped 


52  DEDICATION    OF   THE 

to  roll  back  the  haughty  and  desperate  tide  of  rebel  invasion 
that  was  twice  shattered  on  the  glorious  fields  of  Antietam 
and  of  Gettysburg.  They  fought  with  Hooker  at  Chancel- 
lorsville,  with  Burnside  at  Fredericksburg,  with  Sheridan  in 
the  Shenandoah.  They  were  with  McClellan  in  his  march 
to  Richmond  by  the  bloody  peninsula,  and  they  followed 
Grant  through  the  Wilderness  and  beyond,  to  Richmond 
and  to  Appomattox.  Others  of  them  shared  the  fortunes 
of  the  forces  which  captured  the  coast  and  river  cities  of 
the  Confederacy,  and  raised  the  blockade  of  the  Mississippi. 
Every  man  had  his  story.  Each  looked  armed  battalions 
in  the  face  and  sustained  the  hostile  shoclc  of  the  assault. 
They  heard  the  whistle  of  the  rifle  ball  which  was  seeking 
their  life,  the  shriek  of  the  exploding  shell,  the  clatter  of 
galloping  squadrons,  the  clash  of  sabres,  the  roar  of  the 
cannonade,  the  cries  of  the  wounded,  the  groans  of  the  dying, 
the  mournful  dirge  over  the  dead.  The  blood  of  some  of 
them  was  shed,  and  that  of  them  all  was  offered,  in  defense 
of  the  Union.  Some  languished  and  died  in  hospitals  or 
Southern  prisons. 

"  When  can  their  glory  fade?" 

Write  down,  so  that  your  children  of  coming  time  may 
read,  the  story  of  their  sacrifices,  who  perished  of  diseases 
consequent  upon  the  experiences  of  camp  and  field.  Such 
Swansea  men  were  Daniel  Tompkins,  Frank  R.  Chase, 
Stephen  Collins,  William  H.  Hamlin,  Martin  L.  Miller, 
Charles  H.  Eddy,  Josephus  T.  Peck,  Joseph  Whalen, 
Captain  Edwin  K.  Sherman,  all  of  whom  by  death  in  hospital 
made  a  soldier's  greatest  sacrifice. 

Look  at  the  roll  of  the  slain  :  Andrew  S.  Lawton,  a  leg 
shattered  at  the  battle  of  Williamsburg  early  in  the  Peninsu- 
la campaign,  and  dying  within  a  few  hours.  Joseph  T.  Bos- 
worth  of  a  Rhode  Island  battery,  killed  on  the  bloody  field 


TOWN    HALL,    SWANSEA.  53 

of  Antietam  by  an  exploding  shell.  Oliver  R.  Walton  slain 
when  the  war  was  far  advanced,  at  the  battle  of  Winchester 
in  the  Shenandoah,  after  nearly  three  years  service.  Edward 
G.  West,  like  Lawton,  a  member  of  the  Bristol  county 
regiment  raised  by  Gen.  Couch,  which  followed  the  varying 
fortunes  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  and  shared  its  ex- 
perience of  battle  and  of  blood.  Early  in  the  victorious 
but  costly  campaign  in  the  Wilderness,  West  paid  the  price 
of  his  patriotism  by  a  soldier's  death.  Mark  the  heroism, 
the  valor,  the  Christian  resignation  of  Alfred  G.  Gardner, 
of  Battery  B.  of  Rhode  Island,  who  at  the  battle  of  Gettys- 
burg fell  beside  his  gun,  with  his  arm  and  shoulder  torn 
away.  With  the  other  he  took  from  his  pocket  his  Testa- 
ment and  other  articles  and  said,  "  Give  them  to  my  wife 
and  tell  her  that  I  died  happy,"  and  with  the  words  of  the 
soldier's  battle  hymn,  ''Glory,  glory  hallelujah,"  on  his  lips, 
his  soul  went  marching  on — a  striking  illustration  of  the 
spirit  which  breathes  in  the  immortal  words  of  Horace, 

Dulce  et  decorum  est  ^^ro  i^f^tria  morl. 

Who  can  forget  the  deeds  of  such  men  ?  Let  their 
names  be  written  on  the  enduring  granite  of  the  memorial 
shaft  or  tablet,  on  the  page  of  the  historic  record,  and 
on  the  hearts  of  their  grateful  countrymen.  And  let  all 
who,  on  the  blood-red  field  offered  their  bodies  a  target  to 
the  enemy's  assault,  whose  deeds  of  daring  and  self-devotion 
we  caimot  here  recite,  be  also  held  worthy  of  our  undying 
gratitude. 

An  address  on  an  occasion  like  this  can  at  best  do  but 
scant  justice  to  a  history  such  as  that  of  which  Swansea  can 
boast.  The  deeds  of  these  two  and  a  quarter  centuries 
deserve  elaborate  record.  Let  it  be  one  of  the  offices  of  the 
Library  Association,  for  whose  literary  stores  and  work 
ample  provision  has  been  made  within  these  walls,  to  gather 


54  DEDICATION   OF   THE 

all  that  has  been  or  may  yet  be  written  of  Swansea,  to 
cultivate  the  taste  for  historic  research,  and  to  collect  and 
preserve  such  memorials  as  will  illustrate  the  past  and  per- 
petuate its  fame. 

The  past  is  fixed  and  is  amply  worthy  of  record.  But 
what  of  the  undetermined  and  oncoming  future  ?  Will  it 
reach  the  height  of  the  standard  set  by  the  achievement  of 
days  gone  by  ?  Will  it  display  equal  or  superior  fidelity  to 
the  eternal  principles  which  alone  make  a  community  strong? 
Will  the  men  of  to-day  and  of  to-morrow,  for  whose  use 
this  structure  has  been  reared,  rise  to  the  level  of  their  his- 
tory and  their  high  privilege  ?  Let  them  emulate  the  ex- 
ample of  the  brave  and  godly  fathers  of  the  town  who  laid 
its  foundations  in  righteousness  and  in  piety — foundations 
more  imperishable  than  the  solid  boulders  which  have  been 
built  into  these  massive  walls. 


The  oration  of  Mr.  Brayton  was  followed  by  brief  ad- 
dresses by  Jonathan  M.  Wood,  Esq.,  of  Fall  River,  Maj. 
James  Brown  of  Taunton,  and  Hon.  E.  L.  Barney  of  New 
Bedford,  all  natives  of  Swansea,  who  have  distinguished 
themselves  in  Bristol  county  as  honored  members  of  the  legal 
profession. 

The  president,  in  presenting  the  next  speaker,  said : — 
I  have  the  honor  of  introducing  to  you  Jonathan  M.  Wood, 
Esq.,  of  Fall  River.  It  may  not  be  out  of  place  to  remark 
that  Mr.  Wood  is  one  of  four  brothers,  natives  of  Swansea. 
In  the  war  of  the  rebellion  his  three  brothers  served  respect- 
ively in  the  cavalry,  infantry  and  navy.  Each  in  his  depart- 
ment did  faithful  service.  One  was  severely  wounded  and 
taken  prisoner  at  the  battle  of  Pittsburg  Landing. 


TOWN   HALL,  SWANSEA.  55 


Address 

OF  JONATHAN  M.  WOOD,  ESQ.,  OF  FALL  RIVER. 


Ladies  and  Gentlemen  : 

I  have  a  right  to  claim  Swansea  as  my  birthplace, 
for  on  the  western  hillside,  where  linger  the  last  rays  of  the 
setting  sun,  in  the  centre  of  a  hundred  acre  farm,  near  the 
old  brick  mansion  house,  is  the  old  family  burial  ground 
where  sleep  six  generations  of  ancestors  and  kindred.  And 
there  was  plenty  of  room  for  the  progeny  to  multiply,  for 
until  within  a  few  years  there  were  five  contiguous  farms  in 
the  family  name. 

The  place  of  my  birth  being  one  of  the  reasons  of  the 
honor  done  me  to-day,  I  may  be  indulged  in  referring  to  an- 
cestral lineage,  for  few  families,  even  in  this  ancient  town,  can 
trace  a  longer  continuous  line  of  ownership  and  residence  on 
the  same  farms,  and  within  its  borders ;  and  to-day  one  of  your 
citizens  is  of  the  eighth  generation,  still  continuing  the  farm 
and  the  old  mill  in  the  family  name.  And  the  old  mill  flume 
repeats  the  murmurs  of  more  than  two  hundred  years  ago : 

"That  mill  will  never  grind  again 
With  the  water  that  has  passed." 

In  common  with  many  of  the  citizens,  my  first  impres- 
sions were  formed  in  Swansea,  in  the  toil  of  the  field,  and 
that  best  of  all  schools, — the  old  district  school, — the  influ- 
ence of  which  upon  the  public  mind  as  far  surpasses  that  of 


56  DEDICATION   OF   THE 

the  higher  institutions  of  learning,  as  the  impressions  of 
youth  are  more  lasting  than  those  of  later  life. 

Swansea  is  more  than  twice  as  old  as  the  government  it- 
self of  which  it  forms  a  part.  More  than  half  of  its  political 
existence  as  a  municipal  corporation  was  passed  in  colonial 
days. 

A  reference  to  its  map  shows  the  inconsistency  of  grants 
and  charters.  It  would  seem  that,  for  some  reason,  in  the 
adjustment  of  boundary  lines,  Swansea  got  piqued  and  in  re- 
taliation made  a  sharp  point  on  Barrington,  Seekonk  and 
Rehoboth.  The  same  irregularity  appears  also  on  the  east- 
ern boundary.  Until  recently  one  could  not  drive  between 
North  and  South  Somerset  without  getting  one  wheel  into 
Swansea.  The  shape  of  the  town  shows  that  even  in  old 
times  things  were  not  always  done  on  the  square. 

Swansea  is  fortunate  in  her  natural  location,  her  rivers, 
her  fisheries,  her  clam  shores.  It  is  a  high  recommendation 
of  a  town  to  have  good  roads.  This  title  to  favor  Swansea 
can  claim.  Good  roads  are  a  source  of  wealth.  Even  the 
hundred  years  old  walls,  though  not  horse  high,  bull  stout 
and  hog  tight,  are  yet  so  far  serviceable  that  they  never 
allow  the  claim  of  a  fraudulent  title  to  pass  over  them. 

Swansea  has  contributed  liberally  to  peopling  the  far 
west.  She  has  sent  forth  to  the  cities  some  of  the  best  me- 
chanics and  builders  in  the  land.  Her  sailors  and  command- 
ers have  been  upon  every  sea ;  and  her  merchants  to  all  parts 
of  the  world. 

In  her  sacrifices  for  the  country  on  sea  and  land,  in 
bloody  battle,  in  hospitals,  in  rebel  prisons,  in  glorious  graves 
and  in  widows'  and  orphans'  hpmes,  her  record  has  been  most 
honorable. 

In  most  of  the  Western  States,  a  township  means,  not 
a  municipal  organization  but  thirty-six  square  miles  of  land, 
in  sections  of  one  square  mile.  In  New  England  a  town 
has  greater  powers  than  anywhere  else  in  the  Union.     A  town 


TOWN  HALL,  SWANSEA.  57 

here  is  a  small  republic, — a  municipal  corporation,  possess- 
ing political  powers.  The  people  tax  themselves  ;  make  their 
own  appropriations  for  highways,  for  the  support  of  schools, 
paupers  and  police.  They  choose  their  own  town  officers, 
selectmen,  assessors,  collectors,  school  officers  and  the  like. 
The  town  meeting  is  their  legislature,  and  every  voter  a 
member  ;  every  voter  has  a  voice  in  more  than  three  fourths 
of  all  the  laws  he  lives  under  in  the  land. 

This  building  has  been  given  to  the  town  of  Swansea. 
The  gift  is  the  greater  because  by  a  citizen  of  the  town,  and 
it  is  dedicated  to  the  noblest  purpose  in  a  free  government. 

The  citizens  will  meet  here  in  free  town  meetings,  and 
their  children  after  them.  Under  the  constitution  of  our 
State  it  is  their  right  also  peaceably  to  meet  and  discuss 
public  questions,  to  instruct  their  representatives  and  to 
petition  to  those  in  office  for  redress  of  grievances. 

Free  schools,  free  churches,  the  free  town  meeting  and 
free  discussion,  have  been,  as  we  hope  they  will  continue  to 
be,  the  promoters  of  a  citizenship  worthy  of  the  town  and 
this  great  republic. 

Let  us  all  hope  that  not  only  the  years,  but  the  centuries 
shall  be  many  before  the  people  of  the  town  of  Swansea, 
with  its  hills  and  its  valleys,  its  rocks  and  its  rivers,  shall  en- 
joy less  blessings  than  those  that  flow  from  free  schools,  free 
town  meetings,  and  happy  homes. 


58  DEDICATION  OF  THE 


Address 

OF   MAJOR   JAMES    BROWN. 


Introducing  Major  James  Brown  of  Taunton,  the  presi- 
dent said  he  was  the  first  native  inhabitant  of  Swansea  to 
graduate  from  a  college,  and  was  highest  in  rank  of  Swansea's 
sons  who  participated  in  the  civil  war.  His  response  was 
substantially  as  follows  : 

Mr,  President : — 

I  thank  you  for  your  highly  complimentary  introduc- 
tion. Yes,  ladies  and  gentlemen,  directly  in  front  of  me, 
across  the  street,  not  three  hundred  feet  from  where  I  stand 
is  the  place  of  my  birth.  The  old  two-story  house  is  gone, 
and  a  beautiful  cottage  has  taken  its  place.  The  big  wil- 
low tree  that  stood  in  the  corner  of  the  yard,  the  pear  tree 
and  the  apple  trees  are  gone,  but  I  revere  the  spot,  and  I 
love  my  native  village  with  greater  intensity  as  the  years 
roll  by.  Memory  of  the  playmates  of  my  childhood,  the 
pleasures  of  youth,  and  the  steadfast  friendships  here  of 
maturer  years  bind  me  to  you  as  with  "  hooks  of  steel."  I 
have  always  been  proud  to  say  I  was  born  in  the  ancient 
town  of  Swansea.  I  firmly  believe  that  breathing  its  health- 
giving  air  during  my  childhood  and  early  youth  contributed 


TOWN   HALL,    SWANSEA.  59 

largely  to  the  robust  health  I  have  always  enjoyed.  My 
ancestors  from  the  earliest  colonial  times — seven  generations 
— were  tillers  of  the  soil  in  the  town  of  Swansea.  They 
were  farmers,  and  as  a  farmer  boy  I  lived  and  toiled  among 
you.  I  cannot  claim  that  I  took  to  its  duties  with  that 
avidity  which  evinced  a  strong  and  abiding  love  for  plough- 
ing and  planting  during  the  cold  days  of  the  spring,  pulling 
weeds  and  hoeing  in  the  early  summer  days,  pulling  potato 
vines  and  onions  in  August  and  September,  together  with 
milking  the  cows  at  sunrise  and  again  at  sunset,  and  the 
other  varied  duties  of  a  farmer  boy. 

I  am  introduced  here  as  the  first  native  inhabitant  of 
Swansea  to  graduate  from  a  college.  My  home  was  here 
until  I  was  admitted  to  the  bar  just  before  I  was  24  years 
of  age.  A  man's  surroundings  have  great  influence  in 
determining  his  course  of  life.  In  my  childhood  and  early 
youth  religious  polemics  were  the  order  of  the  day.  The 
Methodists  discussed  doctrinal  points  with  Baptists,  and  the 
Universalists  with  both  the  others.  In  passing  let  me 
remark  that  there  never  was  a  Congregational  Society  in  the 
town  of  Swansea.  Nothing  but  Baptist  meeting-houses  had 
been  built  within  its  present  limits.  The  beautiful  edifice  of 
the  Episcopal  Church  was  erected  when  I  was  well  advanced 
in  my  youth.  The  Union  meeting-house,  as  has  been  said  by 
the  orator  of  the  day,  was  on  the  site  of  the  building  we  now 
dedicate.  My  father's  house,  directly  opposite,  was  a  com- 
mon resort  for  Methodists,  Baptists  and  Universalist  min- 
isters. My  parents  received  and  entertained  them  in  a 
most  hospitable  manner,  and  I  heard  much  of  their  dis- 
cussions. I  listened  to  their  arguments  as  I  grew  older,  and 
begun  to  take  part  in  their  discussions  at  an  early  age, 
involving  a  thorough  study  of  the  Bible,  and  a  familiarity 
with  its  doctrinal  passages,  together  with  a  study  of  the 
controversial  books,  a  few  of  which  were  within  my  reach. 


60  DEDICATION    OF   THE 

Then  came  the  old  debating  society.  The  Hon.  John 
S.  Brayton,  the  orator  of  the  day,  as  well  as  myself  attended 
it,  as  its  youngest  members.  Among  them  were  the  Rev. 
Benjamin  H.  Cliace  and  Hon.  Daniel  Wilbur,  who  sit  here 
on  this  platform  with  us  to-day ;  there  was  Royal  Chace 
of  Swansea,  one  of  the  most  brilliant  and  gifted  young  men 
among  us  ;  there  were  also  Peleg  S.  Gardner,  Avery  P.  Slade 
and  Benjamin  G.  Chace  of  Somerset,  Edward  F.  Gardner 
of  Swansea,  and  Nathaniel  B.  Horton  of  Rehoboth,  and 
others  I  do  not  at  this  moment  recall ;  but  I  must  not  omit 
to  mention  that  our  records  were  kept,  regularly  read,  and 
signed  by  Joseph  Shove,  clerk. 

The  meetings  we  held  in  this  village,  Somerset  town- 
house,  Swansea  Factory,  Rehoboth  and  elsewhere,  were 
always  well  attended  and  excited  the  most  lively  interest. 
Political  questions,  involving  research  of  history,  biography, 
and  the  writings  and  speeches  of  great  men,  were  frequently 
discussed.  The  question  ''  Does  man  act  from  necessity  or 
from  free  will?"  excited  deep  interest.  These  discussions 
were  great  incentives  to  study,  and  awakened  a  desire  for  a 
solid  and  thorough  education. 

I  then  conceived  the  idea  of  going  to  college.  My 
father,  with  a  good  and  well-stocked  farm,  could  not  afford 
to  pay  the  expense  of  two  years  preparation  and  four  years 
sojourn  in  college.  I  doubt  whether  there  was  then  a  farmer 
in  Swansea  that  could,  from  the  profits  of  his  farm.  I  was 
told  that  I  coidd  have  a  comfortable  home  there,  and  I 
always  did.  My  dear  mother  ever  afterwards  did  all  she 
could  (and  more  than  she  ought)  in  caring  for  my  wants 
during  the  struggle  that  followed.  My  father  was  always 
ready  to  lend  a  helping  hand. 

After  teaching  school,  boarding  round,  four  months  at 
f  15  per  month  in  the  Nathaniel  Mason  district  in  Somerset, 
John  S.  Brayton  and  I  entered  Pierce  Academy  at  Middle- 


TOWN    HALL,    SWANSEA.  61 

boro  during  the  last  week  of  March  1846,  and  we  chummed 
together,  paying  §1.75  per  week  for  our  board  and  washing. 
Before  then  I  had  never  seen  a  Latin  or  a  Greek  grammar, 
and  I  think  my  chum  had  not,  though  he  did  not  then  begin 
to  prepare  for  college.  In  June  1850, 1  had  passed  my  final 
examinations,  and  received  my  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts 
at  the  Annual  Commencement  at  Brown  University  in  Sep- 
tember. My  labors  during  the  first  two  or  three  years  in  col- 
lege commenced  at  half  past  four  in  the  morning ;  by  lamp- 
light during  the  frosts  of  winter,  and  when  the  birds  began 
to  sing  in  the  spring,  and  by  daylight  in  the  early  summer. 
Yes,  my  friends,  it  was  work — constant,  continuous  work, — 
work  with  a  free  will.  It  might  be  said  the  task  was  accom- 
plished so  soon,  by  necessity  of  earning  the  means  as  I  went 
along.  I  taught  school  fifty-four  weeks  during  the  time.  My 
friends,  you  are  acquainted  with  my  life  since,  and  know 
how  dearly  I  have  loved  to  visit  old  Swansea  during  the 
years  that  have  followed. 

But,  Mr.  President,  you  introduced  me  also  as  the 
highest  in  rank  of  Swansea's  sons  who  participated  in  the 
civil  war.  I  was  not  aware  of  this.  I  am  proud  to  say  that 
having  belonged  to  a  company  of  the  volunteer  militia  for 
five  or  six  years  prior  to  the  civil  war,  playing  soldier  for 
fun,  upon  call  of  the  Governor  April  16,  1861,  I  went  with 
my  company  (G.  4th  Regt.)  as  corporal,  and  had  the  good 
fortune,  as  right  company  of  the  regimental  line,  to  be  a 
part  of  the  first  company  of  organized  troops  that  trod  upon 
rebel  soil,  and  subsequently  to  be  in  the  first  organized  duly 
planned  battle  of  the  rebellion  between  organized  troops, 
that  of  Big  Bethel,  June  10,  1861.  The  fact  that  I  after- 
wards became  a  field  officer  and  rode  on  horseback,  you 
have  alluded  to.  Every  man,  officer  or  private  who  went 
forth  to  do  battle  in  that  conflict  and  performed  his  duty, 
came  home  justly  proud  that  he  went.     If    I  have  added 


62  DEDICATION    OF   THE 

anything  to  the  laurels  of  the  sons  of  old  Swansea,  I  am  re- 
joiced indeed. 

Swansea  Village  was  my  home.  It  has  changed,  greatly 
changed  during  the  last  forty  years.  As  a  business  locality, 
except  at  the  old  paper  mill,  it  no  longer  exists.  In  1840 
in  this  village  there  were  no  less  than  five  places  where  shoe- 
making  was  carried  on  as  an  active  and  remunerative  in- 
dustry, employing  some  fifteen  to  eighteen  men.  Now  as 
a  regular  business  it  is  not  carried  on  at  all,  and  in  fact 
there  is  no  active  mechanical  or  manufacturing  business  here. 
The  same  is  true  of  the  neighborhood  of  Swansea  Factory, 
where  my  maternal  grandfather,  Benajah  Mason,  carried  on 
an  extensive  business  as  a  tanner,  currier  and  a  manufacturer 
of  boots  and  shoes,  employing  a  dozen  or  more  men  accord- 
ing to  the  season.  That  has  passed  away,  as  well  as  Swan- 
sea Factory  itself,  once  a  flourishing  manufactory  within  two 
miles  of  this  village.  What  has  been  the  cause  of  this 
change  ?  It  was  not  from  lack  of  enterprise  here,  but  it  is 
to  be  found  in  the  superior  advantages  of  the  then  small 
villages,  through  which  the  lines  of  railroad  were  run.  With 
better  facilities  for  transportation  they  started  forward  and 
soon  left  the  outlying  villages  far  in  the  rear.  Stagnation 
soon  commenced,  and  the  result  was  an  abandonment  of  all 
mechanical  or  manufacturing  industry  where  a  railroad 
station  was  not  near  at  hand.  Brockton  and  other  villages, 
now  cities,  have  grown  with  phenomenal  rapidity,  and  the 
old  familiar  landmarks  known  to  the  village  boy  of  forty  or 
fifty  years  ago  are  covered  with  big  blocks  built  of  brick  and 
mortar,  and  the  peaceful  quiet  of  the  country  village  is 
disturbed  by  the  rattling  of  machinery,  the  hum  of  business, 
and  the  crowding  of  people  in  the  streets. 

Now,  my  friends,  so  far  as  I  am  concerned,  I  am  glad 
that  Swansea  Village  remains  as  she  is.  It  is  selfish,  I 
know,  but  it  is  a  selfishness  engendered  from  a  love  of  the  old 


TOWN  HALL,  SWANSEA.  63 

scenes  as  they  were  in  my  boyhood.  Nearly  every  dwelling- 
house  and  shop  are  still  standing.  The  trees  on  the  street 
planted  by  the  villagers  some  fifty  years  ago,  (Rev.  Ben- 
jamin H.  Chace  leading  in  the  enterprise)  have  justified  the 
predictions  of  those  who  toiled  to  put  them  in  their  places. 
The  residence  of  Mr.  Stevens,  with  its  beautiful  grounds  and 
surroundings  add  new  attractions  to  our  beloved  village.  It 
is  truly  the  most  charming  rural  retreat  in  this  section  of 
the  State.  When  Mr.  Stevens  first  came  here  with  his  wife, 
some  thirty  odd  years  ago,  the  thought  did  not  occur  to  him 
that  this  might  become  his  permanent  home.  Leading,  as 
he  had,  an  active  and  busy  life,  full  of  adventure  and  ex- 
citement, it  was  not  natural  for  us  to  even  hope  that  he 
would  settle  down  and  become  a  citizen  of  the  ancient  town 
of  Swansea.  But  the  place  grew  upon  him.  He  began  to 
love  it  and  the  people,  and  they  in  return  loved  him  and  his. 
They  learned  to  respect  him  and  be  guided  by  his  counsels. 
He  has  been  a  leader  among  business  men  and  in  the  councils 
of  the  State.  The  name  of  Frank  S.  Stevens  has  long  been 
a  synonym  for  all  that  is  good,  noble  and  generous  in  thought 
or  deed.  This  beautiful  building,  which  we  dedicate  to-day 
is  a  tribute  of  love  from  him  to  the  people  among  whom  he 
has  cast  his  lot.  How  many  of  us  may  envy  him.  In  the 
dreams  of  our  youth  we  may  have  looked  forward  to  the 
time  when  we  might  be  author  of  some  substantial  benefaction 
to  the  people  of  the  place  where  we  were  born.  That  dream 
is  seldom  realized.  Mr.  Stevens  is  not  ''  native  and  to  the 
manor  born,"  like  many  of  us.  *  He  did  not  play  as  a  child 
in  the  street,  here,  as  we  did.  He  did  not  mingle  with  us, 
as  boys  and  girls  together,  and  have  impressed  upon  him 
scenes  that  last  for  a  lifetime.     Here  he  cannot  say  with  us, 

"  How  dear  to  my  heart  are  the  scenes  of  my  childhood 
When  fond  recollection  presents  them  to  view, 
The  orchard,  the  meadow,  the  deep  tangled  wildwood, 
And  '  Abram's  Rock'  that  my  infancy  knew." 


64  DEDICATION   OF  THE 

# 

But  he  can  say,  "  how  dear  to  my  heart  are  the  place 
and  the  people  with  whom  I  have  lived  during  the  last  gen- 
eration of  men.  Happy  is  my  home,  where  peace  and 
affection  abide.  Respected  and  beloved  of  my  fellow  men, 
the  heart's  fondest  wishes  are  satisfied." 

If  he  has  sorrows  of  mind  or  heart  we  know  them 
not.  To-day  we  know  his  heart  must  beat  tumultuously 
in  response  to  our  grateful  appreciation  of  this  noble  bene- 
faction. This  building,  so  unique  in  design,  so  perfect  as  a 
specimen  of  architecture,  so  well  adapted  to  its  purposes,  will 
stand  through  the  centuries  as  a  monument  perpetuating 
the  memory  of  Frank  S.  Stevens.  "  Sculptured  stone  or 
ever  'during  brass"  could  never  attain  that  end  so  well  as 
this  beautiful  and  useful  benefaction. 


Mr.  Gardner,  in  introducing  the  next  speaker,  said  : — 
In  the  very  excellent  historical  address  to  which  you  have 
listened,  honorable  mention  has  been  made  of  Mason  Barney. 
I  have  the  pleasure  of  introducing  to  you  his  grandson,  the 
Hon.  Edwin  L.  Barney  of  New  Bedford.  Mr.  Barney  is 
also  a  native  of  Swansea.  His  extensive  law  practice  has 
not  only  made  his  name  familiar  in  Southeastern  3Iassachu- 
setts,  but  also  in  other  parts  of  the  State. 


TOWN  HALL,  SWANSEA.  65 


Address 


OF  HON.  EDWIN  L.  BARNEY  OF  NEW  BEDFORD. 


Ladies  and  Gentlemen  of  Swansea  : 

Not  as  a  stranger  coming  into  a  land  which  he  knows 
not,  and  where  he  is  not  known,  but  as  a  native  among  his 
old  friends  and  neighbors,  I  join  with  you  to-day.  Although 
my  labors  are  in  other  scenes,  my  coming  here  is  not  after 
many  years  and  much  wandering.  It  has  been  my  good 
fortune  to  be  near  my  old  home  all  my  life,  and  to  visit 
it  often.  I  feel  that  I  know  Swansea's  people,  not  as  old 
acquaintances  merely,  but  as  townsmen,  fellow  townsmen. 
I  am  proud  of  the  town  ;  I  am  proud  of  her  people.  I  re- 
joice to  be  present  to-day  and  participate  in  this  dedication. 
Not  only  the  fact  that  we  are  here  for  the  purpose  of  throw- 
ing open  and  accepting  this  grand  building,  is  before  us  ; 
but  the  great  generosity  of  the  giver  and  the  inestimable 
benefit  of  the  gift  appear  to  us,  and  you  ought,  and  I  think 
you  do,  fully  appreciate  them. 

This  edifice  is  worthy  of  its  noble  donor.  It  is  beauti- 
ful in  its  architecture  and  complete  in  all  its  arrangements. 
Frank  S.  Stevens  has  shared  his  prosperity  with  you.     He 


66  DEDICATION  OF  THE 

has  built  for  the  people.  As  I  stand  here  it  occurs  to  me 
how  wisely  and  judiciously  he  has  made  and  constructed 
this  house  for  the  whole  people  ;  with  what  fidelity  to  all 
has  his  plan  been  wrought  out.  This  structure  is  not  for 
one  purpose  only.  Built  to  accommodate  the  various  uses 
of  town  government,  education  and  recreation,  it  is  not  too 
small  for  either,  and  is  fully  adequate  for  them  all.  Monu- 
mental to  the  liberality  of  the  name  of  Stevens,  this  building- 
shall  no  less  stand  symbolical  of  the  loyalty  of  the  good 
people  who  shall  maintain  and  protect  it. 

This  Town  House  is  not  of  stone  finished  and  trimmed 
by  the  skillful  hand  of  the  mechanic  ;  not  huge  blocks  of 
granite  or  brick  pressed  to  a  severe  smoothness  ;  not  arti- 
ficial or  manufactured  substance,  but  of  the  natural  boulders 
that  have  lain  for  years  in  the  soil,  or  marked  the  boundary 
lines  of  your  forefathers  ;  rock  upon  rock,  boulder  upon 
boulder,  does  not  the  house  they  make,  represent  the  natural 
solidity  of  character  the  building  commemorates. 

My  friends,  Mr.  Stevens  has  been  wise ;  he  has  made 
a  fitting  combination  of  beauty  and  great  utility  in  this 
bountiful  work  he  has  done  for  his  adopted  home.  He  has 
been  generous,  and  with  a  lavish  hand  has  made  you  j^art- 
ners  of  his  good  fortune.  A  monument  to  his  honorable 
name,  a  standing  tribute  to  good  citizenship,  and  a  light- 
house for  future  advancement,  let  this  edifice  be  accepted 
by  you.  Here  you,  and  future  generations,  can  come  to  ex- 
ercise the  right  of  elective  franchise,  the  highest  political 
privilege  of  American  citizenship.  Within  these  walls  you 
will  elect  and  choose  your  town  officers.  This  place  shall 
be  the  scene  of  your  balloting  for  State  officers,  and  here 
you  will  manifest  your  choice  for  a  President  of  the  United 
States.  Beautiful  as  is  this  building,  so  is  the  right  to  bal- 
lot as  sacred. 


TOWN   HALL,    SWANSEA.  67 

In  search  of  learning  the  young  will  come.  From  the 
volumes  they  can  study  political  economy  to  guide  them 
in  their  action  as  voters,  or  they  can  pore  over  the  pages  of 
history  and  science  to  aid  them  in  their  knowledge  of  the 
world  in  which  they  live.  In  fiction  they  can  find  a  pastime  ; 
in  the  graver  works  they  can  seek  instruction.  Confined  to 
neither  sex  alone,  it  belongs  to  you  all, — truly,  in  every 
sense  of  the  words,  it  is  the  Town  House.  What  noble 
acts  may  the  walls  echo  ! 

How  changed  is  all  this  from  a  century  and  more  ago. 
If  the  dead  could  look  down  from  the  skies  and  see  the  work 
that  is  done  upon  the  earth,  what  would  old  John  Brown,  or 
Major  James  Brown,  Thomas  Willett  the  first  mayor  of 
New  York,  Rev.  John  Myles  the  fighting  pastor,  John 
Myles  his  son,  the  first  town  clerk  of  Swansea,  Samuel  Myles 
the  second  pastor  of  King's  Chapel,  Boston,  Rev.  Samuel 
Luther,  Hezekiah  Luther,  Hugh  Cole,  Thomas  Easterbrooke, 
^elohn  Butterworth,  Francis  Stevens,  and  of  more  recent  date 
Mason  Barney,  Thomas  Peck,  John  Mason  and  a  host  of 
other  immortal  spirits,  who  used  to  walk  these  fields  and 
gather  in  the  old  meeting  house  that  stood  upon  this  spot, 
what,  I  repeat,  would  they  say  ?  Would  they  not  rejoice 
with  us  ?  Would  they  not  delight  in  our  good  fortune  ?  I 
almost  think  that  the  redeemed  and  regenerate  soul  of  King 
Philip  would  be  touched  in  beholding  the  very  stones  his 
feet  may  have  trod,  in  his  wild  and  weird  chase  of  the  white 
man,  two  hundred  and  odd  years  ago,  rising  into  a  building 
on  almost  the  very  spot  that  English  blood  was  first  spilled 
in  the  Old  Colony.  Commemorative  of  Old  Swansea,  typi- 
cal of  the  present  progressive  age,  and  exemplifying  the 
open-heartedness  of  your  leading  citizen,  this  building  shall 
stand  through  the  years  to  come. 

Of  a  family  whose  name  is  historical  comes  Frank  S. 
Stevens.     We  find  it  often  in  the  records  of  the  Plymouth 


68  DEDICATION   OF   THE 

and  Massachusetts  Colonies.  As  early  as  1658  a  Francis 
Stevens  held  property  and  had  his  residence  in  this  town, 
and  now  233  years  afterwards  we  have  with  us  a  high-mind- 
ed, liberal,  patriotic  and  distinguished  man  of  the  same  name, 
who  worthily  upholds  the  family  distinction. 

Ladies  and  gentlemen  of  Swansea,  see  to  it  that  the 
purposes  for  which  this  pile  was  erected  are  not  averted. 
Keep  it  as  befits  the  honor  of  the  town.  Encourage  its  use 
by  all.  Do  this  and  the  future  generations  will  be  nobler, 
better,  more  independent  and  enlightened. 

Adherence  to  high  principles,  fidelity  to  the  causes  of 
progress,  patriotism  and  liberality,  cannot  fail  to  produce 
what  Tennyson  felt  when  he  wrote, — 

"  Yet  I  doubt  not  through  the  ages, 
One  increasing  purpose  runs, 
And  the  thoughts  of  men  are  widened 
With  the  process  of  the  suns." 


The  chairman  then  asked  if  there  was  any  business  be- 
fore the  meeting. 

Mr.  James  H.  Mason  moved  that  the  selectmen  be  re- 
quested to  convey  to  the  Hon.  Frank  Shaw  Stevens  the 
grateful  thanks  of  the  citizens  of  Swansea  for  his  gift  of 
this  beautiful  and  commodious  town  hall ;  and  that  the  pro- 
ceedings of  this  meeting,  together  with  this  vote,  be  incor- 
porated in  the  records  of  the  town. 

Mr.  E.  M.  Thurston  moved  that  a  vote  of  thanks  be 
extended  to  the  Hon.  eTohn  S.  Brayton  for  his  very  interesting, 
instructive  and  valuable  address  ;  also,  to  Messrs.  Wood, 
Brown  and  Barney  for  their  interesting  addresses,  and  that 
a  copy  of  each  address  be  requested  for  publication. 

Both  resolutions  were  adopted. 


TOWN   HALL,    SWANSEA.  69 

The  interesting  exercises  were  then  brought  to  a  close 
by  the  venerable  Kev.  Benjamin  H.  Chase,  of  Swansea,  who 
pronounced  a  benediction. 

The  audience  then  dispersed  ;  many  people  took  ad- 
vantage to  press  to  the  platform  and  thank  Mr.  Stevens  for 
his  splendid  gift,  and  Mr.  Brayton  for  his  magnificent  address. 

There  were  none  in  the  audience  more  deeply  interested 
in  the  proceedings  then  the  special  guests  of  the  honored 
donor  of  the  building  : 

Mrs.  Louisa  E.  Stevens,  of  Cleveland,  Ohio,  mother  of 
Hon.  Frank  S.  Stevens  ;  Mr.  N.  C.  Stevens,  of  Toledo,  Ohio  ; 
Mrs.  A.  K.  Spencer,  of  Cleveland ;  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Geo.  H. 
Allen,  of  New  York  ;  Mrs.  J.  Barstow,  of  New  York  ;  Mrs. 
F.  Hoard  and  Miss  H.  M.  Kelton,  of  Providence. 

The  ushers  of  the  day,  who  performed  their  duties  in  a 
successful  manner,  were  Messrs.  Henry  O.  Wood,  Nathan 
M.  Wood,  James  Easter  brook.  Mason  Barney  and  Elijah  P. 
Chase. 

At  the  close  of  the  exercises  in  the  hall,  the  Swansea 
Brass  Band  gave  an  elaborate  clambake,  near  the  hall,  and 
entertained  a  large  crowd  in  a  satisfactory  manner. 


70  DEDICATION   OF   THE 


APPENDIX  1 


Seed. 

Know  all  Men  by  these  Presents,  that  1,  Frank 
S.  Stevens  of  Swansey  in  the  State  of  Massachusetts,  in  con- 
sideration of  one  dollar  and  other  considerations  to  me  paid 
by  the  Town  of  Swansey,  a  municipal  corporation  situate  in 
the  County  of  Bristol  and  State  of  Massachusetts  aforesaid, 
the  receipt  whereof  is  hereby  acknowledged,  do  hereby  re- 
mise, release  and  forever  quitclaim  unto  the  said  Town  of 
Swansey  the  following  lots  of  land  situate  in  said  Town. 
The  first  lot  is  bounded  beginning  at  the  southeast  corner  of 
the  lot  to  be  described  on  the  northeasterly  side  of  the  high- 
way, and  running  thence  northerly  by  the  fence,  building, 
and  wall  now  there,  one  hundred  and  two  feet  (102)  by  land 
of  Elizabeth  R.  Stevens  to  a  wall,  thence  westerly  one 
hundred  and  sixty  feet  (160)  by  the  burying  ground  and 
the  wall  as  it  now  stands,  to  a  wall  and  land  of  the  heirs  now 
or  formerly  of  Mason  B.  Chase,  thence  southerly  by  said 
last  named  land  and  wall  sixty-five  feet  (65)  to  the  highway 
aforesaid,  thence  westerly  by  said  highway  one  hundred  and 
eighty-six  feet  (186)  to  the  point  of  beginning,  containing 
by  estimation  fifty-five  rods  more  or  less.  Said  tract  of  land 
is  subject  to  a  right  of  way  to  and  from  the  highway  and 
the  burying  ground. 


TOWN  HALL,  SWANSEA.  71 

Also,  one  other  lot  of  land  situate  in  said  Swansey  and 
bounded  beginning  at  tlie  southwest  corner  of  the  lot  to  be 
conveyed,  thence  running  by  the  wall  forty  feet  to  the  pass- 
way,  thence  northerly  by  said  passway  to  the  lot  formerly 
occupied  by  John  Mason,  Esq.,  thence  west  by  said  Mason  lot 
to  the  wall,  and  thence  by  the  wall  to  the  first  named  corner, 
being  the  lot  conveyed  to  me  by  John  S.  Sprague  by  deed 
dated  June  16th,  1890. 

Also,  one  other  lot  of  land  situate  in  said  Swansey  and 
next  to  the  lot  last  described  above,  and  bounded  beginning 
at  the  southeast  corner  thereof  by  the  lot  first  described 
above,  thence  running  northerly  by  the  wall  twenty-four  (24) 
feet  for  a  corner,  thence  westerly  by  a  lot  now  or  formerly 
owned  or  occupied  by  Richard  Chase  to  the  center  of  the 
path,  forty-four  feet  (44),  thence  southerly  by  said  path 
twenty-four  feet  (24)  to  a  wall,  thence  easterly  by  said  wall 
forty-four  feet  to  the  point  of  beginning,  being  the  lot  con- 
veyed to  me  by  William  H.  Chase  and  others  by  deed  dated 
June  25th,  1890. 

This  conveyance  is  made  upon  the  express  and  precedeht 
conditions  that  the  building  which  said  Frank  S.  Stevens  is 
erecting  or  has  erected  upon  said  land  for  a  Town  Hall  and 
Public  Library,  and  which  is  conveyed  by  him  as  a  free  gift 
to  said  Town  as  part  of  the  premises  included  in  this  con- 
veyance, shall  be  devoted  to  public  purposes  and  forever  used 
as  a  Town  Hall  and  Public  Library  by  the  inhabitants  of 
said  Swansey ;  that  the  room  designed  for  the  use  of  a  Pub- 
lic Library  shall  be  used,  rent  free,  for  library  purposes  by 
the  organization  known  as  the  Swansey  Public  Library,  or 
such  other  library  as  may  succeed  to  or  take  the  place  of 
the  same,  and  that  any  Christian  denomination  desiring  the 
use  of  said  Town  Hall  for  funeral  services  shall  be  allowed 
to  use  the  same,  subject  to  such  equal  and  reasonable  regu- 
lations as  the  Selectmen  of  said  Town  may  prescribe. 


72  DEDICATION   OF  THE 

To  have  and  to  hold  the  granted  premises,  with  all  the 
privileges  and  appurtenances  thereto  belonging  to  the  said 
Town  of  Swansey  and  its  successors  and  assigns,  to  their 
own  use  and  behoof  forever. 

And  I  do  hereby,  for  myself  and  my  heirs,  executors 
and  administrators,  covenant  with  the  said  grantee  and  its 
successors  and  assigns,  that  the  granted  premises  are  free 
from  all  incumbrances  made  or  suffered  by  me,  except  the 
right  of  way  aforesaid,  and  that  I  will,  and  my  heirs,  execu- 
tors and  administrators  shall  warrant  and  defend  the  same 
to  the  said  grantee  and  its  successors  and  assigns  forever, 
against  the  lawful  claims  and  demands  of  all  persons  claim- 
ing by,  through,  or  under  me,  except  said  right  of  way,  but 
against  none  other. 

And  for  the  consideration  aforesaid  I,  Elizabeth  R. 
Stevens,  wife  of  said  Frank  S,  Stevens,  do  hereby  release  unto 
the  said  grantee  and  its  successors  and  assigns  all  right  of  or 
to  both  dower  and  homestead  in  the  granted  premises. 

In  witness  whereof,  we,  the  said  Frank  S.  Stevens  and 
Elizabeth  R.  Stevens,  have  hereunto  set  our  hands  and  seals 
this  twenty-third  day  of  June,  in  the  year  one  thousand  eight 
hundred  and  ninety-one. 

Signed,  sealed  and  delivered  r  Frank  S.  Stevens.  {Seal.) 

in  presence  of  ) 

Andrew  J.  Jennings  to  F.S.S.  )  _  _    ^ 

N.  C.  Stevens  to  E.  R.  S.  (  ELIZABETH   R.  STEVENS.  ( Seal.) 


Commonwealth  of  Massachusetts. 

Bristol  ss.  June  24,  1891.  Then  personally  appeared 
the  above-named  Frank  S.  Stevens  and  acknowledged  the 
foregoing  instrument  to  be  his  free  act  and  deed,  before  me. 

Andrew  J.  Jennings, 
Justice  of  the  Peace. 


TOWN  HALL,  SWANSEA.  73 


APPENDIX    II. 


[Copy  of  a  communication  from  the  Newport  corre- 
spondent of  the  Providence  Moiming  Stor,  published  in  that 
paper  on  the  15th  day  of  December,  1880.] 

THE  POTTER  SCHOOL  HOUSE. 

The  new  school  house  to  be  erected  and  presented  to 
the  city  by  the  trustees  of  Long  Wharf,  is  to  occupy  18,000 
feet  of  land  on  Elm  street,  and  the  trustees  have  decided  to 
christen  it,  "  The  Potter  School  House,"  for  the  following 
reason :  In  1795,  Simeon  Potter  of  Swansea,  Mass.,  made 
a  free  gift  to  the  trustees  of  an  estate  owned  by  him  near 
the  wharf,  which  the  following  copy  of  Mr.  Potter's  letter, 
making  the  donation,  will  more  fully  explain : 


SwANZEY,  Aug.  16,  1795. 

Messrs.  George  Gihhs  and  George  Champlin  : 

Gentlemen  : — I  saw  in  the  Boston  Centinel  a  scheme 
of  a  lottery,  for  the  laudable  intention  of  re-building  Long 
Wharf  in  Newport,  the  building  a  Hotel,  and  more  especially 
establishing  a  Free  School,  which  has  determined  me  to  make 


74  DEDICATION   OF   THE 

a  free  gift  of  my  estate  on  the  point  called  Easton's  Point, 
which  came  to  me  by  way  of  mortgage,  for  a  debt  due  from 
Hays  and  Pollock,  if  you  will  accept  of  it  in  trust  to  support  a 
Free  School  forever,  for  the  advantage  of  poor  children  of 
every  denomination,  and  to  be  under  the  same  regulations  as 
you  desired  the  Free  School  should  be  that  you  designed  to 
erect.  If  you,  gentlemen,  will  please  to  get  a  deed  wrote 
agreeably  to  the  intentions  here  manifested,  I  will  sign  and 
acknowledge  the  same,  and  send  it  to  you  for  recording.  I 
would  only  mention  that  if  the  situation  is  agreeable  to  you, 
the  house  and  garden  would  do  for  a  school-master,  and  the 
oil-house,  which  is  large,  might  be  fitted  up  for  a  school-house. 
This  as  you  may  think  proper.  There  is  no  person  here  who 
understands  writing  such  a  deed,  or  I  would  have  sent  it  to 
you  completely  executed.   • 

I  am,  gentlemen,  with  respect. 

Your  very  humble  servant, 

Simeon  Potter. 


It  is  needless  to  add  that  the  gift  was  accepted  and  the 
property  used  as  proposed,  a  free  school  having  been  main- 
tained there  for  many  years,  or  until  the  State,  through  the 
"  School  Fund  Lottery,"  which  many  will  remember  as  exist- 
ing for  many  years,  took  charge  of  the  education  of  its  youth. 


TOWN   HALL,    SWANSEA.  75 


APPENDIX  III. 


THE  NEW  TOWN  HALL. 

The  Town  Hall,  of  which  the  cut  on  the  frontispiece  is  an 
illustration,  is  the  gift  to  the  town  of  Swansea  of  Hon.  Frank 
S.  Stevens.  The  building  is  located  upon  a  lot  nearly  oppo- 
site the  residence  of  its  donor.  The  dimensions  of  the  land 
are  193x122  feet.  It  is  placed  about  the  center  of  the  lot, 
some  30  feet  back  from  the  street,  and  its  dimensions  are 
61x80  feet.  The  building  is  of  rough  field  stones,  taken  from 
the  walls  on  farms  owned  by  Mr.  Stevens,  with  Longmeadow 
brown-stone  used  for  trimmings,  all  laid  in  pure  Portland 
cement.  The  arched  entrance  seen  in  the  cut,  is  eight  feet 
in  width  and  handsome  blue-stone  steps  lead  to  the  entrance. 
The  vestibule  is  spacious,  being  a  square  room  twelve  feet  four 
inches.  Directly  in  front,  to  one  entering  this  vestibule,  are 
wide  folding  doors  opening  directly  to  the  town  hall.  By  the 
only  condition  of  the  donor  this  is  to  be  open  to  every  and 
any  religious  society  desiring  to  hold  funeral  services  there. 
The  hall  is  a  magnificent  room,  40x50  feet,  with  recess  for 
a  stage  10x34  feet.     The  platform  extends  slightly  into  the 


76  DEDICATION   OF   THE 

• 

hall,  and  its  dimensions  are  16x30  feet.  The  hall  is  finished 
with  a  dado  four  feet  high,  and  has  a  cove  ceiling  on  all 
sides  16  feet  above  the  floor,  which  height  marks  the  tie 
beams  of  three  ornamented  trusses,  10^  feet  apart.  The 
vaulted  or  dome  ceiling,  29x13  feet,  is  designed  to  break 
sound  waves  and  assure  good  acoustic  properties.  For  further 
decoration  the  cove  ceiling  is  broken  by  wooden  ribs,  form- 
ing panels  three  feet  wide  and  the  height  of  the  cove  around 
the  hall.  The  finish  is  of  hard  pine,  in  shellac.  The 
seating  capacity  of  the  hall  is  500.  On  the  west  side  a  fire- 
proof vault  for  the  town  records  is  provided,  lined  with  brick 
and  with  vaulted  ceiling,  with  double  steel  doors.  Besides 
the  folding  doors  to  the  vestibule,  similar  doors  open  into 
the  library  and  selectmen's  rooms  at  the  front  of  the  build- 
ing, thus  increasing  the  capacity  of  the  main  hall,  should 
occasion  require.     Heat  is  provided  by  furnace. 

The  southwest  corner  of  the  building  is  for  the  library 
and  reading  room.  Book  cases  run  the  whole  width  of  its 
walls  and  to  the  ceiling.  The  dimensions  of  the  room  are 
23x18  feet  exclusive  of  an  alcove,  6x13,  with  open  fireplace. 
Spacious  window  seats  are  provided  at  the  front  windows. 
The  southeast  corner  is  the  selectmen's  room,  18x20  feet, 
and  opening  into  a  circular  stairway  that  leads  to  the  bell 
deck  and  clock  tower.  A  fireplace  ornaments  the  east  side 
of  the  room,  ^nd  both  this  and  the  library  are  heated  by 
grates  sufficiently  large  for  the  purpose.  Provision  has  been 
made  whereby  an  extension  can  be  made  on  the  east  for  a 
room  for  kitchen  purposes  on  festal  occasions,  though  this 
was  not  contemplated  in  the  original  plan  nor  in  the  cut 
presented.  This  vestibule  entrance  formed  by  the  tower  is 
finished  in  brick,  and  in  one  of  the  sides  a  bronze  tablet  will 
be  set  suitably  inscribing  the  gift  and  the  purpose  of  the 
donor. 


TOWN   HALL,    SWANSEA.  77 

The  perspective  of  the  building,  as  seen  by  the  illustra- 
tion, is  very  pretty  and  pleasing.  The  style  at  once  excites 
commendation  from  all  who  see  it.  It  is  nearer  "  rustic" 
than  anything  else,  and  the  architect  has  evidently  had  ever 
in  mind  the  location  for  which  it  was  intended.  The  tower 
shown  is  13  feet  square  and  56  feet  high,  and  its  roof  is 
covered  with  red  slate,  while  the  roof  of  the  main  building 
is  of  dark  blue.  The  tower,  with  its  bell  and  clock,  marks 
the  memorial  feature  of  the  structure.  A  memorial  tablet, 
cut  from  a  slab  of  brown  freestone,  bears  the  inscription ; 


1890 

PRESENTED    TO    THE    TOWN    OF    SWANSEA, 

BY 

FRANK    S.  STEVENS. 


One  of  Howard's  best  movement  clocks  has  been  fur- 
nished, and  a  fine-toned  bell  of  715  pounds  weight  accom- 
panies it.  It  will  be  noted  that  the  ornamentation  of  the 
building  is  all  in  front,  the  roof  being  kept  plain,  and  so 
easily  in  repair.  The  front  is  ornate  with  brown  stone  and 
carving.  The  tower  treatment,  its  rounded  arches  marking 
the  Romanesque,  is  indeed  picturesque,  and  the  turret  for 
the  clock  is  a  distinctive  and  important  feature  for  this  part 
of  the  tower.  The  chimney,  for  the  library  fireplace,  is 
carried  on  the  tower  on  the  opposite  side  and  as  a  balance 
to  the  clock  turret,  and  rises  to  a  height  of  52  feet  above 
grade.  Another  architectural  feature  to  show  that  the  tower 
is  for  a  bell  as  well  as  for  a  clock  is  seen  in  the  large  opening 
below  the  clock,  through  which  the  bell  will  show,  and  the 
sound  waves  have  nothing  to  check  and  subdue  them. 

As  the  building  is  only  designed  for  the  three  rooms 
which  have  been  described,  a  town  hall,  library  and  select- 


78  DEDICATION   OF   THE 

men's  room,  there  being  no  second  story,  the  roof  is  designed 
in  keeping  with  this  fact.  The  large  roof  covers  the  large 
hall  only,  and  the  roofs  are  low  over  the  other  two  rooms. 
And  to  make  the  alcove  a  distinctive  architectural  feature 
of  the  front  it  is  marked  by  a  steep  gable,  which  also  acts  as 
a  screen  for  the  roof  of  it. 

The  building  is  piped  for  gas.  Mr.  J.  Merrill  Brown 
of  Boston,  was  the  architect,  Mr.  J.  J.  Highlands  of  Fall 
River,  did  the  masonry,  and  Mr.  Angus  McDonald  of  Boston, 
the  carpentry  work. 


TOWN   HALL,   SWANSEA.  79 


APPENDIX  VI. 


FRANK  SHAW  STEVENS, 

The  donor  of  the  town  hall,  was  born  in  Rntland, 
Vermont,  Aug.  6,  1827.  He  received  a  common  school  edu- 
cation, and  at  the  age  of  seventeen  entered  a  store  in  West- 
field,  N.  Y.,  as  a  clerk.  He  served  in  this  capacity  four  years, 
when  the  California  gold  fever  excitement  allured  him  to  the 
great  West,  and  he  joined  his  fortunes  with  a  company  of 
Forty-niners  for  a  trip  across  the  great  American  Desert, 
in  the  spring  of  1849.  They  left  Omaha  in  May  of  that 
year  for  Sacramento,  Cal.,  and  reached  their  destination  in 
the  latter  part  of  August.  Mr.  Stevens  did  not  like  the  life 
or  the  work  of  a  miner,  and  soon  gave  up  this  business  for 
something  more  to  his  liking.  He  entered  into  partnership 
with  Mr.  Henry  Durfee,  for  the  purpose  of  hauling  goods 
and  provisions  to  the  miners  and  travellers  in  the  mountains. 
The  enterprise  was  proving  to  be  a  profitable  one  when  high 
water  came  on  and  they  were  obliged  to  give  it  up.  He  then 
successfully  engaged  in  the  restaurant  business  and  after- 
wards ran  a  stage  line  from  Sacramento  to  Placerville.  In 
1854  all  the  stage  lines  in  California  united  to  form  the 
California  Stage  Company,  and  Mr.  Stevens  was  chosen  vice 
president,  having  charge  of  one  of  the  most  important  di- 
visions until  1866.     In  the  fall  of  1858  he  came  to  Wash- 


80  DEDICATION   OF  THE 

ington,  D.  C,  to  look  after  the  interests  of  his  company,  and 
made  several  trips  to  and  from  California  from  that  time  to 
1866. 

In  1858  he  visited  Swansea  for  the  first  time,  and  in 
1866  he  settled  in  the  town  which  has  since  been  his  home. 
In  1862,  he  became  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Paris,  Allen  & 
Co.,  of  New  York.  Mr.  Allen  died  about  a  year  ago  and 
Mr.  Paris  died  September  2,  1891. 

Mr.  Stevens  has  been  prominently  identified  with  the 
business  interests  of  Fall  River  for  nearly  a  quarter  of  a 
century,  and  at  the  present  time  is  president  of  the  Globe 
Street  Railway  Co.,  president  of  the  Fall  River  Merino  Co., 
vice  president  of  the  Metacomet  National  Bank,  and  a  direc- 
tor in  the  following  corporations  :  Bourne  mills.  Chase  Ele- 
vator Co.,  Edison  Electric  Illuminating  Co.,  Fall  River 
Electric  Lighting  Co.,  Fall  River  and  Providence  Steam- 
boat Co.,  Granite  mills.  Mechanics  mills,  Osborn  mills, 
Richard  Borden  mills,  Slade  mills  and  the  Stafford  mills. 

Up  to  the  opening  of  the  war  of  the  rebellion  Mr.  Stevens 
was  a  Democrat,  but  since  that  time  he  has  been  actively 
identified  with  the  Republican  party.  He  was  a  member 
of  the  Republican  State  Central  Committee  from  this  district 
for  several  years,  and  in  1884  was  a  member  of  the  State 
Senate,  declining  a  re-election  the  next  year. 

He  was  a  delegate  to  the  National  Republican  conven- 
tions of  1884  and  1888. 

Mr.  Stevens  has  been  twice  married.  In  July,  1858, 
he  married  Julia  A.  B.,  widow  of  James  E.  Birch,  of  Swan- 
sea. She  died  in  February,  1871,  and  on  April  22d,  1873,  he 
married  Miss  Elizabeth  R.  Case,  of  Swansea.  He  is  an  at- 
tendant and  supporter  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  church 
of  Swansea.  His  farm  is  one  of  the  finest  in  the  vicinity  of 
Fall  River,  and  is  well  stocked  with  fine  horses  and  a  large 
herd  of  pure  Jersey  cattle. 


Table  of  Contents, 


Page 
Fkontispiece. 

Letters  of  the  Selectmen  of  Swansea,            -           -  -           -      3 

Dedication  of  the  Town  Hall,         -----  5 

Presentation,  Address  of  Mr,  Stevens,            -           -  -           -      8 

Portrait  of  Frank  Shaw  Stevens,                _           _           _  opp.      8 

Response  of  Mr.  Mason,  the  Chairman  of  the  Board  of  Selectmen,     10 

Historical  Address  of  Hon.  John  S.  Brayton,      -           -  -          12 

View  of  the  Garrison  House  of  Rev.  John  Myles,  -           -    23 

View  of  the  Old  Meeting  House  at  North  Swansea,    -  -         31 

Address  of  Jonathan  Wood,  Esq.,       -           -            -  -           -    55 

Address  of  Major  James  Brown,               -           -           -  _          58 

Address  of  Hon.  Edwin  L.  Barney,    -           -           -  -           -    65 

Vote  of  Thanks  to 

Messrs.  Stevens,  Brayton,  Wood,  Brown  and  Barney,  -          68 

Appendix  I. 

Deed  of  Mr.  Stevens  to  the  Town,             -           -  -           "    '70, 

Appendix  II. 

Letter  of  Simeon  Potter,             .           -           _           .  -          'j.s 

Appendix  HI. 

Description  of  Town  Hall,              -           -           -  -           -    75 

Appendix  VI. 

Frank  Shaw  Stevens,  Notice  of,           -           -           -  -         79 


